Song of the Leaf Defect
by X-Burner 27
Summary: Now fed up with her "master's" treatment, Tayuya decides to show him what happens when you mess with people's lives and toss them aside. The only problem is, can she really pull it off while still being a member of Oto and paired with the newest member?
1. The start of a horrible friendship

**Song of the Leaf Defect**

**Original Summary:**

**I was in your elite guard. I fought for you, killed for you, even gave my life to you… And now, you make me babysit this freaking duck ass!**

**I've had this idea in my head for a while now so I'm typing it out. I hope you enjoy it.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I see no point in that, but It's apparently needed. Don't expect to see this again, cause you won't.  
**

**Well, without further delay...  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 1:**

**The start of a horrible friendship

* * *

**

_Alright…_ I thought. I was in leaf village territory. The mission was rather simple. Escort some bitch to Orochimaru-sama. Now, explain why was I hiding behind one of the few remaining trees preparing a Genjutsu?

First, it was a group of them, five to be exact. Slowly, as our four diminished, so did they. I was left fighting some asshole with a ponytail that made him look like a pineapple while his faggot, blonde, orange jumpsuit wearing friend leaped passed me using a cheap ass trick. Pine-ass-pple was supposed to be a chuunin, and to be truthful, he at least had the brains for it. He also specialised in shadow jutsu.

After fighting for some time, which is a fancy way of saying the faggot hid, dodged and then lucked out and caught me with his shadow, I had him. I even had a kunai in my hand and planned how he would die. I was going to slice his throat open and maybe even move some internal organs and then watch his body fall down to the ground, maybe even laugh a few times at his weak ass efforts. As the shadow broke and my plan was about to follow through …. Out of **nowhere**, a gust of wind blasted through the forest. Its sheer force slammed me away from pineapple and against a tree, as well as tore down some others. In front of pineapple now stood some Suna bitch with blonde hair which was tied in four pigtails and a giant, iron fan. I rotated around the tree behind me, ignoring the pain running through my back. It was actually a miracle that that tree survived, seeing as almost all the others didn't. My eyes squinted at the sun which now shun in. It almost took over the clear, blue sky which was also visible. If I wasn't preoccupied with fighting for my freaking life, I may have marvelled at it. Beats the shitty sky of the Sound Village any day of the week. It only then hit me that she didn't cut down some, but most of them in a twenty-five foot radius. And my flute. Freaking bitchy piece of...

Still, no matter. They're still dead anyway. _If they come this way, then with my Genjutsu…_ A sudden spike in chakra registered in my head. My eyes widened. _Eh?_

Before I even had time to move, an immense gust of wind ploughed through the area. The wind wasn't just strong, but sharp also. Trees were nothing to it, as it just sliced them and carried them off. A weasel with an eye patch zoomed passed me, and my tree was no more. Flying trees of all kinds and sizes rammed into me as they flew. Pain course through my body as bones broke, body parts moved in awkward ways as I tried to block the trees. It proved futile as it just made my hands and arms break first, sending pain coursing though my body. Finally, one extra large log raced towards me. It was pointless to even try to dodge, for many others like it were just behind it.

**BAM!**

"Sh-shit…" Was the only thing able to come out.

My vision began to cloud and my eyelids became heavy. I knew what came next. _Maybe this isn't so bad…_ I thought as the pain began to numb my body. I couldn't even cringe as more logs rammed into me. _I can finally get some peace…_ A pause. _If I don't go straight down to freaking hell anyway…_

By this time, my body was completely numb and all I could see was a line of light. This was it for me. It was over.

* * *

A lone soul leaped through the trees. He probably had the worse job ever. His protector glistened as he leapt through some light which penetrated the thick leaf cover. A single music note said that he was Oto. He was sent just after Kimimaro, to check to see who failed and to dispose of their body, lest Konoha get them and their secrets. He already found and destroyed two of the bodies. Scribbled in a notebook he was forced to carry was,

'_**Kidomaru, dead and disposed.**_

_**Jirobo, dead and disposed.**_'

Despite the fact that he had done his job, he already knew these two only meant either a hell of a beating or a mess in his pants. To make things worse, he found no trace of Sakon, Ukon or their bodies. None! He pulled out the beaten, red stained notebook and began to write,

'_**Sakon/Ukon, unknown.**_'

A grunt came from him. That just means probably a missing limb AND a mess in his pants. Double bummer. Everyone knew Orochimaru was no fan of bad news and neither were those who had to give it to him.

His thoughts ceased as the trees suddenly stopped. He stopped, bewildered at the sight.

"Whoa…"

The trees looked like a thousand enraged samurai tore through them during a hurricane. Trees were sliced and tossed aside for what was at least a mile. Not a leaf was visible, only the dark brown of tree barks.

"Gotta feel sorry for the person who got hit by whatever caused this." He mumbled as he made his way across, carefully leaping on fallen tree after tree. His feet stopped about half way through the debris. A faint chakra signature radiated off a pile of logs. A scowl formed through his mask as he recognised it. "Of all people NOT to die…" He started towards the logs. "But, I'll probably get it worse if I say she's dead."

He uncaringly threw a tag on the logs. Can't feel if you're unconscious. Within a couple of seconds a blast echoed through the clearing and logs shot into the air. Where the logs once rested, something else did. A girl was now visible. Her long red hair lied on the ground behind her and a trail of blood ran up her face from her mouth. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises, ranging from all shapes and all sizes. For once, a tranquil look was on her usually fiery face.

The Oto ninja knelt down to her. "Well I'll be damned. She actually looks kinda cute when she isn't shouting or cursing her head off." He did a few hand signs and placed his hands over her body. His hands then glowed a weak green and he moved them over her body. "Tck, I can't do much here… Heck, I suck at healing overall." He mumbled to himself. "Looks like all I can do it clear up the bruises, cuts and fix the better off bones. Until we get to the base that is."

After doing the little he could, he carefully placed Tayuya in his arms and set off back to Otogakure. The girl looked much more presentable, with all her cuts and bruises gone, but it was still visible that many of her bones were broken. He didn't bother to go for Kimimaro on his way back. It was well known that he was beyond healing thanks to an unknown ailment and there was no way in hell that he could destroy, of all people, his bones.

* * *

The trip itself wasn't that long. Once you cross the Valley of the End, it isn't a three hour's trip til you reach the first base. It took him twice that though. Tayuya needed to be treated every few minutes or things could get worse for her. The scenery in Oto territory was anything but the same as the leaf village. Trees grew denser, making it quite a hassle to travel via walking. Less light filtered down, and coupled with larger forest animals gave the place a darker, creepier feel. Once through the trees, the first base became visible. It was no more than a cluster of buildings surrounded by a grey, uneventful wall. That wasn't all there was to it, each base was developed underground also, but that was mostly for prisoners and experiments. Passed this was more trees, but if you went far enough, the trees would disappear and acres upon acres of rice fields would be found. The ninja never actually saw it though. You'd have to be pretty lucky to get a mission anywhere outside of Otogakure or Konohagakure.

He landed at the entrance of the base. A large gate stood before him, and a guard stood guarding it. Upon seeing him, the guard stood up straight and stopped him from going any further. The ninja flashed moved Tayuya to a better position, and flashed the guard a paper. Without even waiting for the guard's approval, he leaped over the gate and into the base. He rushed through the nearly empty base towards the main building. Honestly, for something that was supposed to be a main building of the base, it looked like a shack. It looked makeshift, with boards placed like they barely fitted together. The shingle roof wasn't helping either. The shingles were loose and many were out of place.

The Oto nin chuckled as he approached the building. "Home sweet home." He looked at the unconscious girl in his arms. "Or as you would say… Home shitty home."

He walked in cautiously. As he entered, a chill ran down his back and a cold sweat came from him. This was the part he hated the most. There were many doors, and corridors, some of which he dared not even look down. After walking for what felt like hours, he came to a pair of unimpressive wooden doors.

He stopped. _This better work…_ He thought as he reached for the door.

"Enter." Slithered from inside.

The ninja froze, barely keeping control of his bowels. _I __**hate **__it when he does that…_ The door slowly opened and he stepped in, kneeling almost as soon as he entered. "Orochimaru-sama, the mission is complete. His eyes stayed glued to the ground, not daring to make eye contact with the snake of the sannin.

Sitting on a chair in front of him, was none other than Orochimaru, fresh from the Living Corpse Reincarnation. Bandages covered his body, even going as far as his fingertips. The bandages parted for one, sinister eye to see. Next to him stood the silver haired boy named Kabuto. The room was barely lit, with one two candles providing light. Many corners of the room and even where the ninja knelt were barely lit. The only thing which seemed vaguely visible was a table on the side, but not even half of that was clear. The room just felt like a monster would leap out and kill you at any moment. A monster named Orochimaru.

"What about it?" The monster ordered.

The ninja reached into his pouch and took out the notebook. _I hope this thing doesn't get another red stain on it today…_ "Kidomaru and Jirobo have been disposed of."

A smirk formed through the bandages covering the leader's face. "Well done."

"… However, Sakon and Ukon have disappeared."

The murderous intent in the room rose greatly. Dirt slowly began to rise as the snake let off some of his chakra. The walls even began to crack under the strain. The ninja stiffened, breathing harshly now and he even began saying a prayer in the back of his head.

"But I-I f-found a survivor." He shakily placed the unconscious redhead on the floor in the light in front of him.

The feeling of death lessened, and the chakra lessened also. The ninja relaxed again, well, relaxed to a certain degree. He could never relax fully anywhere near Orochimaru.

A hand rose and waved him off. "Be gone now."

"Hai." And with that, the ninja left the room. _Sweet! No beating OR mess in my pants! Thank you Kami-sama!_ He thought as he walked out of the dark corridor and eventually onto the street.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru looked at the unconscious girl who now lay in front of him. _I should kill her._ He thought almost glaring at her now. _She failed the mission and now I have to wait three years before Sasuke's body is mine._ His mind stopped, considered other things. _Though, that gives me time to turn him into the perfect host… She also was the only one who didn't slow the Sound Four down…_

A figure growled from the shadows. "Quit wasting my time Orochimaru. Just hurry up and give me the power!" He slowly stepped out of the shadows, revealing his black hair and cold onyx eyes. He wore a short sleeve, blue shirt which had a large collar. Also donned was a pair of short, white pants with the holster on the right leg.

"That's Orochimaru-_sama_ to you!" Kabuto yelled. "Show some respect!" He was tired of giving slight warnings. He had long lost patience to quietly pull Sasuke on a side and whisper in his ear to show more respect. Now, he just yelled. The worse part was that they weren't together for even a whole day yet.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru spoke up. His hand led Kabuto's eye to the girl on the floor.

After casting a quick glance, Kabuto examined the body. Within seconds, he nodded. "Ok. It's possible."

A smirk appeared through the bandages. "Kukuku… Don't worry Sasuke-kun; your training will begin soon… But for now, say hello to your new training partner."

Sasuke growled impatiently. "Do you take me for a fool? The girl is half dead and her arms and legs are severely broken. She's not even fit to watch me fight." Sasuke spat. "Stop insulting and wasting my time _Orochimaru_."

Kabuto almost lunged at Sasuke when he heard that. "Sasuke! Show more respect to Orochimaru-_sama_!"

"Maybe I will when Orochimaru starts training me."

Kabuto's hands clenched and his eyes closed in frustration. Tension began to fill the air, almost all of it radiating from the Silver haired ninja.

"Enough."

The room silenced and the tension seemed to lessen.

"Kabuto, prepare the jutsu. Use anyone you see fit." Kabuto nodded and disappeared. "And you… Rest for now. Your training will begin tomorrow."

* * *

She was never so happy before in her life. She leaped joyously through a meadow of lush, green grass. The bright, blue sky above looked breathtaking. The sun shined magnificently in it, illuminating the whole area as well as providing the right amount of heat. The ankle high grass played with her toes, but also greatly cushioned her steps, making it even a joy to walk. A gentle, cool breeze blew through the area, and her hair flowed slowly in it. Although she never, not even in her wildest, sickest dreams, saw herself in anyway as a 'girly-girl', she couldn't help but frolic and take in the scenery and setting. She didn't even seem to care about her clothes, which was only an extremely long, white shirt which happened to cover everything. For the first time in her life… she had peace. No fighting. No war. No quarrelling. No running. And most importantly… no Sound Four. She never hid the fact that she wasn't fond of her other teammates. In fact, she cursed each and every one of the on a daily basis. Jirobo twice. And that was just because she could. She would actually end up cursing them more for one reason or another. Sakon and Ukon were annoying because of the opposite personalities; the two would always quarrel about something stupid. They didn't even agree on what food to eat and when they wanted to hit the stick, they quarrelled more! Sakon liked it slow while Ukon was a quickie. Kidomaru referred to everything, and literally **everything**, as a game. The spider even once said, 'King to B5.' and took one step to the table to eat. Another time, after he mastered a new technique, he said, 'I finally levelled up!' Jirobo was just annoying. He ate like it was a freaking holiday every **freaking day**! If the fatass walked into an all-you-can-eat buffet, they would just put up a 'Closing Down' sign right then and there. Also, every time Tayuya cursed, he just **had** to tell her something. 'It is appropriate'; 'A young lady shouldn't use such language'. One, simple finger was the only response. That and fatass.

She immediately stopped herself.

No. Hell, freaking, NO. She refused to let those assholes invade her thoughts just this moment of peace. Let sleeping dogs lie and throw kunai at the ones you don't like heads. She continued through the almost never ending field, more or less just wondering around. It was then she saw it. It was just sitting there on a rock. Her body froze when she saw it, and her heart skipped a beat. It shone beautifully in the sun and almost invited her to come. She quickly wiped the drool that escaped her lips and raced to it.

"Holy, freaking, shit!" She held the flute in her hands. "I've only seen ones like this in books…!"

Yes the flute was her weapon for Genjutsu, but to her it was more than that. It was more than a musical instrument. It was more than her weapon of death and destruction. It was her escape, one of the few things she had that could help her get away from it all. In fact, other than sleep, it was the only thing. This however rarely meant peace. The only chances she got to play were during fights, or to stop herself from attacking one of her former teammates.

A smile formed on her lips. _Yes, I love the sound of that. '_Former Teammates_'. Life will be sweet now that I never have to see those shit-faced faggots again._

Slowly, she brought the flute up to her lips and blew into the mouthpiece. The sounds that followed were amazing. After all, one doesn't use a flute in battle and suck at playing it. She started with a simple scale to get the tuning of it. Her eyes widened as the whole scale came out.

_Whoa! This makes mine look like shit! Wait, mine is shit… Damn bastard _Orochimaru_ was too cheap to get me a good quality one. _

She started playing a song, one of her personal favourites. Her fingers moved with ease and grace (something she never displayed in front of others) over the holes. Oddly, apart from her Genjutsu and summoning controls, she didn't know many songs. She did know about a handful though. Her face once again took a calmer look to it as she played. It was her escape in an escape. Heaven in heaven. There was no way that she couldn't be enjoying this.

After finishing the song, she allowed herself to fall onto the soft grassy floor. She didn't even feel anything as she landed. The flute was now in her left hand, which lay on the grass next to her. Her smile began to fade as something she said lingered on her mind.

'_Life will be sweet…'_ She thought. _Oh, yeah… The mission… That means… _She sighed. _I'm probably freaking dead. Nice. Finally lose everything that bothered me and I freaking die. _ Her head turned, looking around. All she saw was lush grass and sky. Even the rock which the flute appeared on seemed to vanish. _Wonder why I'm not burning up somewhere… I mean, I barely even said Itadakimasu, so I know I'm not going to heaven. Guess this is the waiting room…_ She paused. _Pretty vicious waiting room for what I'm getting… Get nice and happy and then BAM! Hell._

She began to bring her left arm up, to begin playing again. There was only one problem with that. The flute was gone.

_What the freaking hell! I had the thing one minute ago!_

The cool breeze which blew through the area turned cold. Almost icy. Goosebumps popped up all over Tayuya's body and she shivered at the feeling.

_Sh-shit it's cold…_ Her arms instinctively came over her body, trying to huddle together for heat.

The wind blew again, this time even colder. She suddenly realised that she felt it somewhere she'd prefer not to. Her eyes went down her body.

_Nani!_

Naked. Nothing except her birthday suit. Call it what you want, her shirt was gone. Her hands bolted to her special areas, quickly covering them. Her head turned non-stop now, looking for who was causing this.

_When I find the shithead who's causing this…_

Something suddenly began to feel different. It didn't take Tayuya long to figure it out. The ground. The soft, lush grass was gone, and now rough, hard stones replaced it. Stones wedged themselves painfully in her back and sides as they just seemed to materialize.

Her eyes looked to the sky. _Kami… Just freaking end it already!_

Dark clouds now covered the once, calm, peaceful sky. Yellow bolts of lighting could be seen travelling along them, leaping off the cloud and then falling back on. The lightning slowly began to gather in one central location.

_Oh shit…_

**BOOM!**

Tayuya barely managed to leap out of the way. The ground where she once laid was now scorched. Black marks almost lining where her heart, head and stomach were. Before she even had time to complain about the pain of the stones on her feet, another bolt was racing to her.

She flipped back, making another thin escape. She could even fell the power, the energy of the lightning bolt.

_What the hell did I ever -_. She stopped herself from finishing. She knew what she did to deserve it. _Oh, what the hell… Still! This isn't freaking funny!_

A voice inside of her just told her to look up at that moment. Her head slowly moved up, revealing the large bolt of natural energy rushing towards her.

The energy engulfed her, sending waved of pain throughout her body. Her eyes closed in agony, and a yell escaped her lips.

Her body fell down to the ground, black, scorched and bruised. Black marks lined her arms and legs and even her cheeks. Electricity still flowed over her body even then. Panting, she tried to force herself back up. This only resulted in her falling back down again, only making this worse.

_Damn it… At least… I enjoyed some peace…_

She blacked out afterwards, losing herself once more.

**

* * *

Beep.**

**Beep.**

**Beep.**

A groan came from under some covers.

Kabuto smiled. "It seems like it worked. If only it could have worked for Orochimaru-sama…"

He sat at a chair near a hospital bed. Or, at least was what it was supposed to be. It lacked the one detail about hospitals people never really complained about. Being clean and proper. The metal frame had more than enough rust on it for one's liking, and the sheets weren't even near white. The room also shared this trait. The wall was unpainted, but red splats seemed to make up for it. The air was also a bit stale, despite it having a window. Orochimaru made it policy that the window was only opened when needed. All to make you feel right at home… The only furniture was an old, beaten, partly burned and bitten (yes, bitten) table, the chair Kabuto sat on and the bed. There was also the beeping machine, I believe it's called the EKG.

A female figure lay under the covers. Her small figure moved slightly, and another groan came from the sheets.

"Uhh…"

A hand reached past the covers, pulling them down. Red hair emerged first. The untamed mess led to a female body, in a standard, and surprisingly white, hospital gown, with bandages covering her arms and legs.

"What the fu…" The red head pushed her face out of her hair, to see Kabuto sitting right there in front of her. Her statement immediately stopped. Everyone knew Kabuto wasn't a fan of bad language.

"Konnichiwa Tayuya-san." Kabuto greeted, looking at the clipboard he had in his hands.

Her eyes widened as he spoke to her. She remained motionless for a few seconds, wondering the great question. _Am I… alive?_

"H-Hello," Tayuya returned. Her attention had now changed to the room. It wasn't the condition that surprised her, nah, she was used to that. It was the emptiness. Usually, if the Sound Four got injured, the whole team would be forced to share a room. This time, the room was empty.

"Hey," Tayuya called, curiosity got the best of her.

"Hm?" Kabuto looked up.

"Everyone else is healed already?" She asked.

"No." Kabuto deadpanned.

"Then where the h-, where are they?" She was more curious than worried.

"Dead." Kabuto deadpanned again. "You're the only one who survived the mission."

Her eyes widened, and she almost started to smile. _Whoa! Those shitheads really did die! Guess those Konoha ninja are stronger than I thought._ She then frowned. "Wait, that Sasuke, did he die too?"

"No, _Sasuke_ made it." That was the first emotion Kabuto put into anything he said for the whole day. His dislike of the Uchiha was becoming more and more apparent.

Her frown turned to a scowl. _That damned Orochimaru… Sacrificing his subordinates just for one person. At least the Konoha ninja survived, but look at us! I bet he didn't even have three seconds of peace for them! What kind of leader is that? Just makes me wonder when Orochimaru will sacrifice me for something._

"Sama." Kabuto muttered, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Her eyebrow rose slowly. _So he reads minds too… Or is it just because I 'forgot' my –sama? Pff, like I'm addressing him like that again. Snake faggot can go hump a log for all I care._

"Ok Tayuya-san," Kabuto said, snapping her out of her thoughts again. "Try to stand up."

"…Ok." The girl answered, before swinging her feet over the bed. Hesitantly, she slowly placed them on the ground, and even took longer to actually put her weight on them. The floor was almost unbearably cold, and a shiver went up her spine as she stood up straight. Oddly enough, she stood perfectly straight. Not believing it, she even jumped up a few times, testing its limits.

_I feel, different. Not really bad, but just… freaking different._ She stared at herself before looking at Kabuto again.

He was already writing on the clipboard again. "Ok, the jutsu worked…"

"Wait, what jutsu?" Tayuya quickly asked. Her eyes widened to white circles and her finger flew towards the medic. "Don't tell me it's the same crap that Orochimaru uses to switch bodies?"

Kabuto glared at Tayuya. She didn't even flinch. His eyebrow rose at this. She would usually, yet reluctantly, apologise and say it again properly but this time she kept her usual stern look on her face.

Deciding to let it pass, this time, he began to answer. "No. Not that. It's a jutsu that heals one's body completely. It requires a sacrifice though."

_Great, another sap sacrificed for Orochimaru's goals._

"Don't worry, she was a prisoner. Orochimaru_-sama_ was going to kill her anyway. The jutsu takes the sacrifice's body, and combines it with the person the jutsu is being performed on. The person keeps their form and gains some strength from the sacrifice and their condition. That way, it heals any broken bone, or wound."

"That's stupid. So then why not just do that to fix Orochimaru's arms?" Tayuya deadpanned. "Instead of using the Living Corpse Reincarnation?"

"Don't forget your place." Kabuto warned with a glare, taking notice to the missing honorific. "And, it can't heal more than cosmetic conditions. No disease, sealing or anything in that sort can be healed." He put the clipboard away and got up. "Now, get dressed. Orochimaru_-sama_ would like to give you a new mission."

_Freaking already!_ She looked down, trying to hide the look on her face from Kabuto. "…Hai."

With that being said, Kabuto left the room. As soon as he left, the chair he was sitting on crashed into the door, bursting into pieces but somehow not damaging the door itself.

"As if I freaking care!" She yelled. "Orochimaru should just go hump a freaking rock!" She held up her head, showing the anger written all over. She glanced at the window. _If I make a break for it…_ Her head shook. _No, Kabuto would catch me too quickly and it would just be a waste…_

**Bam!**

Her hand slammed into the wall. _Damn it…_ _Yeah I've died before, technically, but what's the point if I die uselessly now?_ She moved her hand from the wall and stormed to the table, on which some folded clothes rested, waiting for her.

Unknowingly to her, a crack was left on the wall after her punch.

While changing into the clothes left for her, the same as usual, Tayuya noticed a few things… From once she got up, a sensation covered her body. She just felt… different. Not really, '_WTF!_' different, but just… different. She got the first part while putting on her shirt.

"Hey…?" She muttered while fixing her shirt. "What the…?" Her hands made their way to her breasts. Sure, she couldn't be called flat chested, unlike a certain pink haired kunoichi but last time she checked, they were smaller. Before, they didn't quite fill up her hands, but now they did, and even a little extra. She then went on to check her rear, and got the same response. It had more shape, size and also seemed to be a bit softer than before.

"What the hell…?" She muttered. _Not that I'm really complaining._ A picture pushed through her thoughts. In it, she lied completely naked on the hospital bed, Kabuto sat on top of her with his hands on her breasts and a perverted look on his face. A growl made its way out before she muttered, "Damn bitchy piece of hentai shit…" Quickly, she passed her hand between her legs. "Hymen's still there, so at least the pervert didn't try to take me out for a spin…"

She grabbed her tights and put them on. They gave a bit of trouble, but eventually came on.

"Damn, these tights are… tight."

"Ho ho ho, tell me about it." A voice replied.

Tayuya almost launched the table in surprise. Her hand only had enough time to get hold of the object before she saw what caused the sound.

It was the same Sound ninja who found her. This time however, he had his mask off. It revealed him to be around fifteen, and not too shabby looking. He had short, brown hair which fell down messily to his forehead and tanned skin. His dark, yellow eyes stared at the girl who just stared back. He was still dressed in the usual Sound attire and had forced the window open, allowing him to bring half his body through.

"Get lost Akhito." Tayuya immediately said. She turned on her heels and made her way to the door.

"Aww, come on… That isn't anyway to speak to the person who saved you." Akihto grinned.

The redhead froze. Slowly, she turned once more. "So it was you… right?"

"Yep!"

Within two seconds, the girl had grabbed the ninja, slammed him down onto the floor and made her way onto him, strangling him vigorously.

"You freaking idiot!" She yelled as the she wrung his neck. "You know what you caused! Do you know what you've done?"

"I thought I was saving your life!" The boy wailed, his face slowly paling.

"Asshole…" Tayuya grunted as she let go of his throat, throwing his head to the ground. The boy gasped for life, with the redhead still on him. "You wouldn't understand anyway…"

His face turned serious. "Try me."

Tayuya's face became a little red. She didn't expect him to hear that last part. Quickly piecing her usual appearance together, she scowled at him. "You took away my peace."

The boy furrowed his eyebrows and began to scratch his cheek. "Eh? I know I'm not the quietest person in the world but I'm not that loud."

Tayuya yelled in frustration, throwing her hand into the air. "Not like that you jackass! I died you know!"

"Really?" Genuine concern could be found in his question.

Her cheeks became a little warm hearing that. She wasn't used to someone caring about her. Usually if someone asked '_Really?_' they were being sarcastic or annoying. "Er…" She stumbled for an answer. "Y-Yes. But, when I was happily enjoying the peace of death, Kabuto woke me up!"

"Enjoying yourself how?" A smirk appeared on the boy's face. "Like how you just 'enjoyed' yourself a while ago?"

Once again, the redhead's cheeks lit up with embarrassment. "Why you little! I'll freaking wring your perverted neck!"

"Heh," The boy laughed nervously. "Probably should have said that after you got off me, huh?"

A crack of knuckles assured him of his answer.

* * *

She was late. Even Orochimaru would realise that she was late, and he would have been off the wall since he got his new toy. She didn't care however. If he killed her, more her gain than his. She left Akhito in a… reasonable shape. He wasn't going to die or anything, but you wouldn't like to be in his shoes.

She glanced at the cells as she walked by. Person after person sat hopelessly in the dark, deplorable cells awaiting their death or experimentation. Only a few had lost the look of hopelessness, and took up one of strength. She stopped as she saw one, glaring daggers at her. There not a speck of fear in his face. Only determination. It almost surprised her how determined he looked. It was almost as if he wasn't in one of Orochimaru's cells, but in the middle of a battlefield, with an entire army behind him. The tall, muscular man stood in the cell, with a woman one could assume to be his wife sitting next to him. A pain filled Tayuya's insides as she continued to look at the determined man. He slowly stepped to the bars, and growled.

"I will escape… demon girl."

* * *

The words seemed to pierce through her. Her gaze dropped to the floor. _That's right… I was the one who captured him…_ Her fists clenched. The memory was all too vivid. She caught this man, for what? For him to rot in some cell for some spineless snake? She killed almost his entire family except for him and his wife. Why? Just for Orochimaru's sake? Shit him! A spineless shit face like him doesn't even deserve a humane death! She looked back up at him.

"Yes you will, and I will make sure of it."

"You're late Tayuya-san" Kabuto said.

The room was dark, as usual. The same two candles lit the room, leaving numerous dark spots in the room. Sinister chakra seemed to radiate off the snake sannin, flowing around the room, and then into anyone standing in it. The air seemed stale, yet at the same time cold. Kabuto stood next to his boss, Orochimaru. With his transformation still incomplete and bandages decorated his body, the snake fanatic sat on his chair, with his hand up on the arm.

"Just get on with it." Tayuya said folding her arms. _What crap do they want me to do this time?_

A growl came at the back of his head. _Is it a frenzy now? Sasuke's disrespect is acceptable, but now her too?_ He leaned on his fist. "Your mission will place you in a new team. This team raises you rank, and authority." Orochimaru seemed bored saying it. He had better things to do, most of them involving his new host in training. "You're second to Kabuto and me now."

Tayuya's eyebrow rose. _What the hell could Orochimaru have planned for me? This isn't any small change, so it must be something good._ "So, what's this mission about? Who am I teaming up with? Just spit it out already!"

A figure slowly came out of the shadows. His black hair spiked upwards, and immediately reminded Tayuya of a duck's rear. The emotions seemed to be sucked out of his eyes and only cold and darkness remained in the onyx orbs. He wore a beaten blue shirt, with a high collar and short sleeves. His short, white pants were also beaten and the holster was found on the right. He apparently was in a fight, but hadn't gotten out of the battle scared clothes yet. His leg braces led down to regular blue ninja sandals and white arm warmers were supposed to warm his arms. Tayuya blinked blankly at him a couple of times before it struck her.

A growl came out from her and she pointed angrily at him. "YOU!" Sasuke made no reply. "You're the asshole who four people got sacrificed for!"

"Tayuya-san!" Kabuto yelled. "That's your new teammate."

Her eyes widened to the size of plates. "NANI! You want me to babysit this freaking duck ass!" Sasuke's scowl grew at that statement. "The bitch can't even make it to Otogakure on his own!"

That was it. Sasuke's sharingan blazed as he dashed to her. Next thing she knew, Tayuya's body was slammed against the wall with Sasuke's hand at her throat. The air became thick as Sasuke began to release some of his chakra, sending dark waves throughout the room.

Tayuya pushed herself off the wall with ease, and her hand found its place at Sasuke's neck. "Lucky freaking shot!" She then began to feel the chakra. A growl came from the kunoichi at the defect. "So, you think you're the only one with chakra? I barely even felt that pathetic excuse!"

Tayuya's chakra slipped out too, conflicting with Sasuke's own. The floor began to crack, and dust rose at their feet. The lights flickered, threatening to go off at any and every moment. Still, Orochimaru just sat in his chair and watched. Sasuke increased his amount, trying to scare off the girl now squeezing his throat. Tayuya retaliated in the same way, and even began to squeeze harder. The chakra began to move hair, and even clothes began to flap in its presence.

"Orochimaru-sama…" Kabuto started.

A nod followed. Although he was interested in seeing how it would turn out, there was not the place. "Stop."

At first, they didn't listen. Each one was too preoccupied with the task at hand. Sasuke refused to let this… thing show him up and Tayuya just wanted Sasuke gone. Orochimaru frowned under his bandages. He was not to be ignored like this. He too, began to poor his chakra into the area. Its effect was immediate. It completely overwhelmed the teen's and began to cause more physical damage than theirs. Pieces of the floor itself began to rise, and the chair on which he sat cracked loudly underneath its pressure. The feeling overwhelmed Tayuya. Her eyes widened as it felt like her body was being crushed at all points. Air escaped her lings before she knew it, her legs weakened and her grip on Sasuke began to loosen. Before long, it was pointless and her body dropped it its knees. Sasuke resisted for longer, just so that he could prove he was stronger. Not long after Tayuya fell, he did too, dropping to his knees also.

A mad grin slowly formed on his face. _Yes… Yes! This is it! This power… I've never felt anything like it before! It will be mine. It _must_ be mine! Only then, will I avenge my clan and bring Itachi's death!_

Tayuya's thoughts, on the other hand, were quite different. _What was that…? My chakra wasn't that strong before… What the hell did Kabuto do…?_ Her hand trembled as she felt her chakra flow even stronger through her veins. _What… am I?_

**

* * *

That's all for the first chapter. Feedback appreciated. Don't be afraid to ask questions. I'll gladly answer anything you may want to know. Oh, yeah, Merry Christmas. Well, that's if you celebrate it.  
**


	2. With a couple of perks

**The ****bold portion is a dream, in case anyone gets confused.**

**

* * *

Chapter 2: With a couple of perks**

Orochimaru dismissed Sasuke and Tayuya. Before they left, he ordered said redhead to show Sasuke to their sleeping quarters. Although she detested the idea of rooming with the Uchiha, it was better than nowhere. Wait, if he snores, give her the wilderness any day. Sasuke was no fan of it either. She'd just be one more weak, annoying, and useless girl to get in his way. Sure, she may have had an edge while they were in Konoha, but now, there was no way she could hold a candle to him. Or, at least so he thought. They walked down the dark, barely lit corridor, tension growing in the air around them. The thick and dusty air in the corridor got even worse from the tension, but the two didn't even seem to notice. Each one was wrapped in their own thoughts, which happened to be Anti-Sasuke and Tayuya's case and Anti-Tayuya in Sasuke's case. Every once in a while the two shot glares at each other, each on growing in intensity. Finally, the monotony of the corridor ended. The brown pattern and endless doors which lined the walls stopped as they stood in front of the final door. This door however, stood out from the rest having a newer, cleaner look to it.

Tayuya's hand gripped the doorknob, hesitating a bit before opening. She prepared herself for the worst, reciting her daily phrase before entering. "Home _damn_ shitty home."

Twisting the doorknob, she slammed her foot into the door routinely. This sent the door bursting open, swinging with so much force that it banged against the wall and closed itself. Tayuya's eyes widened in surprise, but Sasuke's reaction was completely the opposite. He glared at the kunoichi whilst letting a growl escape his throat.

The flute user scowled at the Uchiha. "Just shut up." Inwardly, she was still a bit amazed. _What the hell? Usually, you need to beat the shit out of the door to open it but just now, I barely even touched it. Well, compared to what I normally do. _Again, she grabbed the doorknob, opening the door slowly. Her hand flew across the wall next to the door, sending the lights flickering on. Once inside was visible, her eyes widened once again, this time even bigger than before.

The room was… different than she remembered. The walls were a cold, stone grey and amazingly, it was so clean that it almost seemed to sparkle. The floor was clearly visible and was revealed to be hard-wood flooring. The only things on the floor where two bed coupled with a cupboard each. That was it! The two wooden framed beds had black sheets and dark purple pillows and covers. The cupboards were neatly arranged with not even one thread out of place. The air wasn't exactly clean, but it was breathable, maybe even neutral. Two windows decorated the room, one as a wall window and the other as a skylight, letting the moon's subtle light shine in.

"Whoa…" Was all that Tayuya could muster. Shakily, she stepped into the room with her head spinning madly with disbelief written all over her face. _Is this even the right room? _She asked herself. _Maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere, because I can freaking see the floor! Clothes, food and other crap used to __**be**__ the floor. _She sniffed a couple of times, taking in the new scent of the room. _The shit smell is gone… mostly. I can finally breathe without feeling the undying urge to puke. _Her eyes widened one final time. _Wait… Is that a window!?!_

Sasuke scowled as he walked in behind the girl. Just looking at her upset him. _Who the hell does Orochimaru think he's dealing with? Look at her; she seems as if she's never even __**seen**__ a bed before. No matter, if Orochimaru wants to see a bloodbath when I fight her… So be it._ His foot kicked the foot forcefully, slamming it close.

Once inside, two more things became apparent. One was the laundry chute, a rectangular metal tunnel which went down to Kami knows where, and the other was another door which, if Tayuya's memory served her well, led to the bathroom. Both looked fresh and clean, fitting in with the rest of the room.

The avenger walked over to the closest cupboard and opened the drawers. Unlike Tayuya, he was completely oblivious to the change in the room's appearance and wasted no time in locating what was set for him. Once that was done, he make his way to the bathroom, all the time remaining silent, not even seeing his roommate fit to be spoken to. The sound of falling promptly began to fill the air after his exit.

As soon as the Uchiha left the room, a loud yawn erupted from the redhead. "Shit… I'm so freaking tired…" She scratched herself in a very lazy and unlady-like way. "Looks like that pine-ass-pple took more out of me than I thought."

The dark sky was a testament to how late it was. Also, since Oto didn't really have a nightlife, unless you were into **that** kind of nightlife, Tayuya decided it was time to crash. She carelessly threw off her shirt, sandals and tights, which really needed to get refitted, into the chute and leaped onto her bed.

_You're freaking kidding me… Duck ass even got the beds more comfortable!? Orochimaru must really want him to feel happy before he humps his ass inside-out._ The foul mouth snickered at the thought. Maybe she should sneak a peek when it happens… Rubbing her head on her new, soft pillow, she began to let herself ease off into her dreams. Before she could actually reach there, her mind jolted back to reality. Her eyes drifted down her bare back to her exposed panties. _Wait, I don't know what kind of pervert Mr. High and Ducky is…_ Her hand reached to the covers at her ankles. With a flick of her wrist, they flew open covering her mid-back down. _Last thing I want is to get in the middle of the night to the feeling of a toothpick._ Remembering it this time, she grabbed one of her sandals off the floor next to the bed, tossing it at the wall above the light switch. The sandal hit the wall, sliding down and turning off the lights. Again, gaining new comfort, she began to let herself drift off. Her eyelids became heavy and by the third time she blinked she was gone.

_**

* * *

No…**_

_**No…**_

_**Not again… Never again…**_

**She was dreaming it again. The only problem was… this time it was a nightmare. **

**A red hue over took everything, so much to the point where even if you closed your eyes it was still visible. Even the usually dark night sky was lit up by the hue. There was nothing left of the old surroundings. All of it was gone, engulfed, broken, destroyed, and vanished. A figure ran through the blazes of his community, panic written all over his face. His muscular arms threw off another burning wall as his search continued.**

_**No…**_

_**Stop this…**_

_**Please… Not again…**_

**The panic on his face grew as time passed. It was as if he was running in circles, but he knew otherwise. All he seemed to come across was more and more burning memories, more and more burning pieces of his soul. To make it worse, the longer he took, the less of a guarantee… The thoughts stopped there. Even if he dies… **that** won't happen. His logical mind was catching up to him however. It was a matter of time until… The only reason he was the one looking and not one of those hoping to be found was that he just felt like taking a walk through the ****forest. He didn't know what, but he just wanted to. Now, if only he brought someone with him… A smell then burned itself into his nose. It was unmistakeable and probably the last smell anyone would want to take in.**

"**WAAAAAAAAHH!!!!" The blood clenching scream echoed through the burning settlement. It overrode everything as well as the smell of… burning flesh.**

_**No… **_

_**Run… Don't come…**_

_**Please… Just save yourself…**_

_**Please… For once… Please…**_

**The man stopped on the spot and darted to the scream. His body tensed, crying to run in the other direction. It sensed the danger and even he knew that danger loomed. But still, he pushed forward, pushing over burning wall and rolling through flames to get to the source. Sweat poured from his face and he was on the verge of wheezing. The fire and smoke may have been getting to his body, but not his spirit. His determination sharpened, giving him speed and strength like he never experienced before. After kicking down one final wall, he saw what he was looking for.**

**Standing there, all huddled together, was the entire village. Well, almost. He could tell the people were missing and after hearing the scream, he need not ask where they were. In front of them stood four strangers, no doubt the cause of all of this. The first one, who seemed to be the leader, had pale skin and grey hair. A bead necklace decorated him but the second head he had coming out of the back of his neck made the necklace completely insignificant. The second one was dark skinned with some metal with a strange symbol engraved in it attached to some cloth tied around his head. The most striking feature was his six arms, which he wore as if he was the normal one and everyone else were the freaks. The third was a large male who could do with losing a few pounds. Finally, there was the only female in the group. Her frame was a bit small and she had long, unruly red hair with a black cap over it.**

**The two-headed one stepped forward. "I'm asking again;" He announced to the huddle. "Who has the kekkei genkai? We know someone has one, and until we find out whom…" He reached into the huddle. People squirmed and moved to avoid his hand, but he still caught one. She had long hair and began screaming as soon as Sakon touched her. "We're going to kill people. One by one."**

**The man's fists clenched, and abandoning all sanity, he rushed towards the leader. Before he even realized, he was inches away from him. His fist flew from his side, aimed directly at the leader's head and going and decent speed. The pale skinned man barely flinched before a third hand sprouted from his shoulder and caught the hand.**

"**Checkmate." The man-spider remarked. "Looks like we found out bloodline."**

"**Seems so." The twin-headed man smirked. He violently pushed the woman onto the man. "Since you like her so much…"**

"**We'll let you keep her!" The other head finished. He raised his face to show an evil smirk on it. "The more slaves the better!"**

**His body then turned towards his group. "Mission complete. Tayuya, finish the job so we can report back to Orochimaru-sama."**

**The girl nodded. Her hand lowered to the holster on her hip. The figure's body tensed in anticipation, as she opened it and reached in. She, however, pulled out the last thing anyone expected to see. A flute.**

"**Hurry it up, will ya?"**

"**I agree. I'm quite hungry." The fat one added, placing his hand on his stomach.**

"**If you take too long, we'll skip your turn." The Negro smirked.**

**A growl emitted from the clearly annoyed girl. "Shut your freaking asses, will ya!?" She barked. "And no comments Jirobo!" The fat one shut his mouth after opening it halfway. The girl's hand came up to her mouth, and red slowly oozed out of her thumb as her teeth tore some skin. Her hands moved quickly afterwards, forming weird formations until she slammed her bitten thumb on the ground. **

**Suddenly, smoke engulfed the area, but it cleared before anyone could move. Three, large ogres stood in front of the girl. They towered over everyone and everything, and a demonic look could easily be associated with them. Bandages covered their faced and their mouths seemed to be sown shut. The flute then rose to her mouth. Music now filled the air as the girl's finger danced across the flute, but for seem reason, one just couldn't enjoy it. As the music continued, the ogres twitched, until they became fully alive. After the ogres moved a bit, the tune changed. A chill went down everyone except the strangers' backs as the summons' heads snapped backward and they burst open their mouths. Fear radiated off the huddled crowd as transparent grey mass rose from their mouths. The mass had numerous mouths along it, each licking itself and its jagged teeth, adding to the demonic feel even more. As the music continued, the mass continued growing and growing. Anticipation began to build as the crowd watched the mass began to sway as it floated. Suddenly…**

**Fwap!!**

**It blasted through every single person in the huddle. For a split second, double images were seen, but no sooner than they were seen, they vanished. Silence took over as the huddle as the mouths on the mass moved as if they were eating something. Eyes widened and bodies began dropping to the floor, as if the life was sucked out of them. Once on the ground, all they did was twitch slightly, no more, maybe less.**

"**Ok, let's go. The fire will do the rest." The leader deadpanned as he turned and began on his way out.**

**The figure's eyes widened at the statement. He readied his body to run, fear numbing his mind from even imagining what they had in store for him. He took off, prepared to even try to save a few of his fallen comrades but fate was not on his side. He felt something slam onto his back and next thing he knew his face went crashing down to the ground. The red haired girl stood on his back, arms folded and feet binding his arms together. **

**She growled as she pushed harder on his back. "Did a freaking piece of trash like you think that he could pull something off? Think again asshole!"**

**The large one then opened his mouth. "That sort of thing isn't appropriate for a young lady to say Tayuya."**

"**Fat. Ass."**

**Everything seemed to stop for a second. Even the fire seemed to quiet down, as if giving a minute of silence for something. An eerie feeling filled the man's body. He knew something was coming. If only he could be wrong…**

"**AHHHHH!!!!" Pierced though the air. The first one was down. Chills crawled down the man's spine as more cries for help fell of deaf ears.**

_**No…**_

_**Stop this…**_

_**Stop…**_

**The cries got louder and more desperate as they got further from the burning huddle. The man's blood curled at the sound, his legs weakened as did his stomach. A pain filled his chest at the thought of all his friends, his family, his neighbours, every just lying there, burning, shouting for help that would never come. His feelings seemed to be his and his alone however.**

"**Nice touch." The leader commended, turning round to look at the cause of pain.**

"**Bonus points!" The arachnid added.**

"**Yeah…" She answered with a smirk. "That will show people what happens if you cross Orochimaru-**sama**."**

**Laughs filled the air as the four leaped through the trees with their captives on their backs. Slowly, everything seemed to fade to black, leaving only the desperate cries for help filling the void. One final line penetrated, shaking the nightmare even more.**

"**I will avenge you my people… This **_**demon girl**_** will get what's coming to her… I swear it."**

**Suddenly, something began to override the cries.**

"**No… No! Get away from me!!" A feminine voice yelled. Fear was rampant in her voice.**

"**Don't worry." A male spoke this time. It was immediately identified. Kabuto. "You have some interesting chakra. Orochimaru-sama would be honoured if you came to Otogakure with me. I'm sure it's better than your… current living conditions." The fake smile on the medic's face was almost visible through the darkness.**

**Those voices sounded out, but not for long.**

"**AHHH!! What are you doing to me!? Get away from me!!! Get away!!" This now pierced the darkness.**

"**Kukuku…" There was no questioning. Only one person did that. Orochimaru. "The more squirming you do just makes this more amusing… Now, let the fun begin!!"**

* * *

Tayuya bolted up from her sleep. Her breathing was harsh and sweat poured out of her horrified face. The dream shook her, and the only thing keeping her scream in was her pride. Raising one hand to her face, she stared blankly and drifted to her thoughts.

_Damn… Of all times to have __**that**__ dream… What was with that second part anyway…?_ The look on her face melted away to a fierce one of determination. _This settles it then… When I blow this hellhole, I'm making sure Orochimaru knows how much of a piece of shit he is._

Throwing her slightly wet covers to the side, she swung her feet over onto the floor. She shot a glance over to the other bed.

_So he's up already…_

She diverted her attention immediately. Why should she waste her time thinking about a duck's rear? Her feet slowly began to carry her to the bathroom door. Mentally, she prepared herself. When she left, the bathroom was the last place anyone wanted to go. She even made a dash to a bush instead of there in the middle of the night once. Only reason she didn't try it again was that she didn't quite make it outside in time. She couldn't remember the last time she heard the toilet flush and the place literally smelt like shit. Pushing the door in slowly, she cautiously placed one foot in with her eyes shut. She stayed still, expecting something squishy, slippery or all around nasty under her foot. Instead, all she felt was cold. Her eyes creaked open to see clean, white tiles.

"Wh-Whoa…" Tayuya mumbled as she shakily walked into the bathroom. A bewildered look, one she seemed to be getting a lot recently, decorated her face. "Orochimaru must have killed at least five people to clean this shithole."

The bathroom had all the basic needs, shower, toilet and sink with mirror above. Each one almost shone in cleanness, a complete contrast to their former selves. From the door, the shower was dead ahead. It was a basic shower, nothing fancy to the point of not even have frosted glass on the sliding door. The toilet was to the right and the sink across the room. Next to the door was a towel rack. On it sat two, white towels, one of which looked a bit… used as parts were still wet and it seemed oddly placed.

A small smirk came to the face of the foul mouth as she grabbed the other towel. "Seems like that freaking duck got to enjoy this before me… Damn…" Her remaining clothes flew off her as she stepped through the glass sliding doors. She took a deep breath before opening the shower, however, instead of the surge of cold water she expected, warm water cascaded over her body. At first, the kunoichi's muscles tensed at the foreign feeling, but they quickly relaxed, easily adjusting. A few relaxed sighs then escaped through the sound of rushing water as steam slowly began to fog the glass.

* * *

After drying herself quickly, the girl got ready for mess hall. Instead of her usual tights, she opted for a long, baggy version of her pants. Thanks to her sudden… development her old tights just weren't practical anymore. The only problem was that the waist was a bit too big and the only belt she found seemed to belong to Jirobo, making it a **lot** longer than necessary. Luckily, Tayuya's no idiot. She measured it with her eyes quickly and then wrapped it around her waist twice, with one loop being much slacker than the other. Even then the pants weren't tight on her. Damned fatass. She ditched the purple robe this time. Along with the 'Sound Four shirt' and her cap, luckily she had extras, the sole survivor left.

Walking through the plain alleys of the base, the kunoichi made her way to the mess hall. Once outside the alleyways, the scenery changed a bit to a normal village. A little light shone down through the hole in the trees, allowing natural light to take the lead for once. A few small shops and vendors lined the sides of the main walkway, trying to coax the Oto Nin into spending the little money they had or bartering. Ninja could be seen walking out of their alleys, some stretching, yawning, talking and other things.

Tayuya sighed as she walked with her hands in her pockets. _At least none of those idiots are here to cause fights…_

"Ohayou Tayuuuya-chaaaan!!" Suddenly rang through the air.

"What the…?" Said girl proceeded to turn to the source of the cry. As soon as she turned full way around…

**BAM!!**

Heads clashed and two teens were sent to the ground. On top of Tayuya was now an Oto Nin with his mask off, revealing brown hair. Steam seemed to rise from both of their heads as they just lied there, recovering from the contact.

"Uhhh…" Akhito groaned as he rubbed his head. "That didn't go as planned…" The boy seemed oblivious to the muffled sounds of his own voice and the sensation his head gained from being nested in somewhere soft.

"Ahem." The redhead underneath him called out.

His hand slowly rose, showing a thumbs-up. "I'm ok…"

Tayuya's face began to turn red. With anger. "Akhito…" She began calmly. "Could you… GET YOUR FREAKING FACE OUT OF MY BREASTS!!!" By the time she finished she was yelling and her face completely red. Steam come out of her nostrils with every breath and her fists were already formed.

The boy's hands pushed his upper body of its resting place. "What are you…?" His sentence stopped and eyes widened as he stared at the kunoichi's mountains for a split second. Once his reasoning caught up with him, he sprung back, one hand covering his nose and the other up, ready to lessen any blows the redhead may deliver. "Whaa!?!?" A red substance oozed out of the space between his fingers as he waved his hand. "N-Now don't d-do anything h-hasty!"

Tayuya's fists clenched and murderous intent poured off her as she glared daggers at the boy. _I'll kill him! _Something inside her then ticked, creating a feeling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling was completely foreign to her. Her mind went off in hundreds of directions at this… sensation. _What is this… feeling…? What's going on…? _Her glare at the boy lessened, almost by itself. A few sighs later, she got up and dusted herself off. She turned to the boy on the floor, who slowly began to inch back as he saw this. Shoving on hand in her pocket, she extended the other to the boy. In return, he just stared blankly. "I don't have all day you know…" All hint of anger seemed to disappear and her face even got back to its regular complexion.

"Why should I trust you…?" Akhito asked with an arched eyebrow. The redhead growled at the remark. "Ok, ok. I'm coming." With a smile, he took the hand and pulled himself to his feet. At first, he leaned away, expecting a punch or something in the sort. Nothing came.

"Come on, I'm hungry." The flute user called as she turned and started walking. _My mind's probably just telling me he's not worth it… That's all._

"Trust me Tayuya-chan; you're not the only one." Akhito replied as he trailed behind her. "I've been skipping mess hall and trying to catch my own food for a week." Almost on queue, a loud growl filled the air. The Oto inn's face flushed and his head dropped in embarrassment. "I'm so hungry…"

"Can't say I disagree with you…" The girl nodded in agreement.

The two walked in silence for some time. The scenery barely changed, to the point where if you were lost and followed them, you'd think they were lost too! Tayuya took a few glances at the boy who cheerfully followed until his hand found its place on his stomach. After walking for a while, the redhead had had it. She stopped, turning to face her follower.

"Ok, spill it." She demanded, staring him dead in the eyes.

"Huh?" Her follower asked, stopping abruptly.

"Why are you hanging around me so much all of a sudden?" She finally got it off her chest. She noticed from the first time he came to her room, but was pushing it away until then. "We didn't even speak to each other before and now you're like my freaking tail. It's a miracle I remembered your name… And what's with the '-chan'!?"

Akhito sighed, as if he saw it coming but was hoping otherwise. "Well, I admit I didn't really think too fondly of you before, but after I saw you KO'ed under the trees, I figured someone that cute can't be all bad." The 'tail' grinned as he finished. The response sent the flute user's cheeks to a shade of red and her eyes suddenly darted away from him. His expression slowly changed as he continued. "Also…" His grin was almost gone now. "My friends died during the Konoha invasion, so I've been kinda lonely since…"

Tayuya's heart almost stopped. A sensation filled her stomach as her eyes drifted to the floor. _What's this feeling…? I've never felt anything like this before… I actually feel…_

The boy's face brightened up once again. "But since I rescued Tayuya-chan, I figured I'd at least get to know you."

The redhead's face began to take her hair's complexion, turning a little red.

"Huh, you ok Tayuya-chan?" Akhito asked realising the red.

"I-It's n-nothing!" She yelled, trying to cover it up.

"You sure you're feeling well?" He took a step closer, reaching for the foul-mouth's forehead.

They were no more than a foot apart after his step. Noticing the lessening space; the foul-mouth's cheeks took more of her hair's colour. One of her hands flew from her pocket and swatted away the incoming hand. "Too close! T-Too freaking close!!"

* * *

The mess hall was no one's favourite place. From the outside it looked like the only solid structure in the entire base. It had the same, bland concrete walls as the alleys, a couple of windows and two large wooden doors at the front. Once you got through them, the smell of food consumed your nostrils. The only problem is… not all the smells are nice. Burning, all the wrong ingredients, things that's just not meant to be eaten, all of these theories and more where made but none seemed to explain the smell. The seating was simple, outdoors wooden tables with attached benches and seemed to just be placed wherever they pleased. A small window rested on the wall to the right of the doors, the only connection between the kitchen and the rest of the building. To enter the kitchen you needed to take the door at the back.

Tayuya's nose wrinkled the moment she burst through the doors. "Shit!!" Popped out of her mouth before she could even think. Not that she would have stopped it anyway.

"Nah, that's not what they're cooking. We asked that last month." Akhito replied with a chuckle as he entered next to her.

The building was barely half full. Clusters of purple and grey were scattered through the hall and a few stood, either getting served or looking around for their usual crowd. The two quickly took their places on the short line for the window. In next to no time, they were at the front of Akhito taking the lead.

"Ohayou!!" He replied to the window.

A barely audible grunt came from the window for his reply. Honestly, no one knew what seemed to lurk in the kitchen. The window casted an odd shadow, completely blocking out anything from three centimetres in. Moreover, no clear voice ever came from it. It was always muffled, blocked, inaudible and such. Slowly, a plate emerged from the darkness with a mound of purple sludge on top. A fork stuck out at the top, but it was slowly tipping to a side as the sludge moved below it.

Once the plate was in his hands, the Oto Nin flinched as the smell crawled up to his nose. "Nani!? Are you trying to kill me with food poisoning?"

A slur of grunts charged from the window, causing the brown haired boy to back away lest a rolling pin reached out and hit him.

"Yo, freaking 'it', there's more people to serve you know!" The redhead shouted into the window as she stepped in front. The grunts immediately stopped. Some noises came from the window and a plate covered by another plate emerged. The flute used stared at the two plates before glancing back at the darkness. "Let me guess… The shit smells so bad that even you'd knock out if you smelt it."

The plates just floated up and back down, signalling to 'just take it and go'.

"Maybe this time I actually will die." She snorted as she took them from 'it'.

The two ninja then left the window in search of a table. They sat at one near one of the few windows, away from everyone else. There was no point in talking or even being near to anyone else. All they were were perverts, some insane maniac or a killing machine speaking of his last kill (something Tayuya usually would have been able to stomach but just not that day). Akhito dropped his plate on the wooden structure, reluctantly sitting in front of it. Doom and Gloom was written all over his face as he watched a purple bubble rise out of his meal. Instead of the bench, Tayuya slid onto the corner of the table, next to her acquaintance and placed one foot up on the bench.

"Uhhhh…" Akhito wailed as the bubble popped and his hand rushed to his nose. "I'm going to die!"

"You're not the only one on death row," His companion added. "Cause this plate coving is freaking the shit out of me. Maybe I should hold a kunai or something in case something jumps out at me." Slowly, the redhead lifted the plate covering. Steam rose as the plate moved and by the time it was gone, drool flowed out of both of the table's occupant's mouths.

"…Holy shit…" Tayuya mumbled, her eyes white circles and drool still pouring from her mouth. "Holy freaking shit…"

"No… No… It can't be… It can't be…! It's just not possible… It just can't exist, especially here…" Akhito stared in disbelief. He shook his head multiple times and even slapped himself, making sure he wasn't dreaming.

"It is…" Her usually scowling mouth changed into a mad grin. "There's no mistaking it… It's…"

"It's…"

"Food!!" They chimed in excitement. "It's real freaking food!!"

Akhito seemed to instantly get out of his seat and on his knees. "You are a Goddess!" He praised, bowing to her. "The Goddess who makes crap into food! Please, teach me!! I'll do anything!! Anything!!"

A smirk formed on Tayuya's face. "As much as I would love to see you worship more, I don't think that's how I got it." The boy's body went to a sitting position as he stared at his 'Goddess', waiting for the story to begin. One of the storyteller's hands came up to point at herself as she continued. "I got a promotion." Her smirk widened. "That's right! It should be Tayuya-_sama_ to you! Since the only people I should give a shit about are Orochimaru and Kabuto. Naturally, I'm guessing things are going to start flowing my way.

"Really?!"

"I got a freaking plate of food in my hands, don't I?" The kunoichi deadpanned; almost surprised that he even asked such a question.

"So why didn't you say something about the '-chan'?" His eyebrow rose as he asked. "That means I've been disrespecting you."

"The King of the rich people is bound to be the richest, right?" A nodded came from the boy. "Then the King of jackasses is the biggest jackass of them all." She finished rather plainly, as if she was speaking of the weather. "I'm not too proud of it but if it gets me more privileges, then hell yeah!"

The boy's eyes brightened and a mischievous twinkle came from them. He sprung from his seat on the floor and took up one closer to Tayuya, who picked up the fork sitting on the edge of the plate to begin eating. "So…" He leaned towards Tayuya with a smirk. She leaned away in response. "Since you'll be eating this kind of stuff more often… I'm sure you won't mind letting me have this meal." His hand was already reaching for the plate before he even finished.

The fork lunged at the boy's hand, causing it to retreat… for now. "Ha! Hell no!! This is my first one and I'm making sure I enjoy every last bite!"

"Aww… Come on… Please…?" He reached again, this time causing the hand under the plate to move.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?" She growled, leaning even further away from him.

"Just a little… bit… Ok, half." He leaned in closer, bodies almost touching now. His arms bobbed in and out, searching for a path to the plate. "Well, if you insist. You sure you won't mind if I take all? Wow, you're such a good friend!"

The flute user thrust the fork in all directions, all the while leaning even more. "What the hell!? Quit saying crap like that!! You ain't getting anything!!"

The girl's hand tilted slightly to the side. That was the mistake. The food rushed to the lower side, gravity as its guide. Feeling the shift of weight, she pushed the plate up hoping to stop it. However, she still wasn't quite used to her body yet. She pushed up with too much force, sending the plate flying into the air, spiralling madly.

"NOOO!!!" The teens yelled in unison, as they both reached for the incoming plate.

The two were on the edge of the table, each stretching to the fullest extent of their bodies. The plate fell closer to Tayuya. Her fingers stretched as far as they can, to the point were her joints began to ache from the extension. She was almost there… Just a little further…

**CRASH!!**

The sound of ceramics hitting the floor seemed to ring in their ears long after the sound actually stopped. Once it hit the floor, it was over. Rats took seconds to converge; almost completely covering the food by the time you could reach to obey the 'Ten second rule'. Both teens' eyes were just white circles as they watched the rats enjoy their food. Slowly, the redhead's head turned to face the boy's.

He leaned back, hands immediately coming up in defence. "Hey… Come on now…" He gave a weak smile. "No need to…"

**Fwap!!**

The fork in the girl's hand whizzed passed his head, barely missing. "The only reason I missed… is 'cause forks aren't aerodynamic." A menacing aura radiated off the girl who now sent a death glare.

"Heh, heh…" Akhito laughed weakly as he inched back.

Tayuya's hand grabbed his ankle, holding tightly. "**I'll kill you!!!**"

The bones in Akhito's ankle seemed to melt away as he slipped from the girl's clutches, leaping off the table. "Let's not do anything --." The plate of slush flew in his direction, sending him diving to the side to dodge. "I'm gonna run now…"

His feet pushed him off as the redhead blasted off her seat and dived at him. She landed crouched, wasting no time in rushing off behind him. "**Stop running, it's only a matter of time before I catch you!!**"

"Whaaaaaa!?!?!" The boy wailed as he leaped onto a table to continue the escape attempt. People now stopped talking and watched as two ninja ploughed through the tables and benches, overturning and leaping onto them in full pursuit. Laughs could be heard as the boy cried for help, but no one came to his aid.

"**It's over!!!**"

"Whaaaa!?!?!" The boy wailed one final time as female rammed into his back, sending him to the floor.

**

* * *

**

**Here ends chapter two. As usual, feedback is appreciated. **

**Next chapter may take a while though. If it does, that while could be a long one. Very long. Sorry.  
**


	3. Realizing your weakness

**Here's chapter 3.  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 3: Realizing your weakness  
**

The sound of running filled the dark hall as a figure ran through. Few candles were lit, leaving more dark patches than lit. Obscenities spewed from the figure's mouth as she continued down the hall, running almost at full tilt. Eventually, a small speck of grey was seen in the distance, through the darkness. The figure rushed more, until the speck stretched and expanded.

Tayuya burst through the two large, metal doors, almost out of breath. Her body leaned on her knees as her cursing fit came to as halt when two words escaped her mouth. "Not… late…" Her hair fell in front of her face as her cap moved during her run.

"Ohayou Tayuya-san." A voice answered.

Tayuya peered through her red hair to see glassed and silver hair. Kabuto. The girl's attention quickly changed as the spy seemed to disappear in front of the background.

Large, green trees decorated the area, shining brightly from what felt like natural light. Light shrubbery and grass formed a small training area at the foot of the trees, which were no where as dense as they were outside. Up in the trees, large branches criss-crossed and came together to form an even larger possible training area, similar to the 'Combat Area 44' Orochimaru had taken a trip to recently. Oddly enough, although the redhead had never been there before, she automatically picked up on one thing.

An eerie feeling filled the air.

There were no chirping birds, no scampering animals, nothing. She may have been long used to the unnatural silences in Oto, but her time in Konoha softened her, as she missed the sound of something other than herself breathing. She wished something would just burst or something, making a sound to take her mind off it. Well, anything except a falling tree.

Kabuto eyed her for a moment, before fixing his glasses. "I see you've changed your look a bit."

"What about it?" The kunoichi almost spat, picking herself up while fixing her cap.

"You've left out the rope." He commented.

"I don't see that freaking rope around your waist." Shot out of the flute-user's mouth with a glare.

The medic's glasses almost fell off his face at the comeback. Almost. Did she get up on the floor or something? Yeah, she was rude and foul to everyone but she seemed to be a bit extra to him today. Making a mental note, he adjusted his glasses and turned to the trees.

"Orochimaru-sama and Sasuke are already training. Sasuke was up pretty early this morning and even refused to stop training to eat. At least he's determined…" His hand led Tayuya's gaze to the trees

* * *

Up on two of the branches were said individuals. Sweat dripped from Sasuke's face and his breathing was harsh, showing how long he had been training and his stubbornness towards taking a break. His high collared blue shirt was ditched for what seemed like a black sleeveless, though he kept his white pants and beaten arm warmers. Orochimaru was quite the opposite. He looked like his usual self, except for a slight glimmer or enjoyment, as if he had just finished a wonderful morning jog or something.

"Alright Sasuke-kun, come again." He demanded. A quick look was the only indication of an answer. That and what the avenger did after the look.

The boy shot off the tree, leaping into the air and towards his new sensei. His feet hit the snake's branch in no time and pushed him off, fists read. His fists flew at the man's head, but a pale hand blocked it easily. Flipping over him, the assault continued as the defect threw two more punched. The self dubbed Otokage defended himself accordingly, showing no emotion on his face. He then pushed the boy off, sending him towards the tree trunk. Almost as if it were completely planned, the boy's body spun, allowing his feet to hit the trunk first.

Pushing off the trunk, the Uchiha rushed at Orochimaru again. This time, he spun his body mid-air, sending him into a spinning kick. An arm blocked. Sasuke continued spinning and pushed off. Still no retaliation. He came again. He ran to the snake. Suddenly, gone. Sounds echoes. He reappeared behind; foot extending. A hand blocked again. Gone again. Sounds echoed again. This time above. Another kick. Another block. A fist rushed.

Impact.

A smirk came. It left just as fast though.

Mud oozed out of its form, as white turned to brown.

Orochimaru appeared again, on a different branch. Sasuke's attention immediately changed and he continued in pursuit.

* * *

"Shit me…" Tayuya mumbled as she stared as the ongoing fight. A bewildered look overtook her face as she stared at the fighting genin. _That's the jackass who couldn't get to Oto on his own!?_

Kabuto glanced at the kunoichi, before asking, "You can follow his movements?"

"Not visibly." Her eyes blinked a few times as she tried to register what she just saw. "Since I use sound, my hearing is keener, so I picked up the sound of him shooting off the trees and followed that." Something else then registered in her head. A glare shot at the medic standing next to her. "And what the hell do you mean by that?! You think _Orochimaru_ picked me cause cause he loves the colour red?! I'm not like you, you freaking…"

The teen growled, letting his thoughts overtake the sound of Tayuya's insults. _This disrespect is getting out of hand…_ He came out of his thought just as Tayuya's insults ended, leaving her breathing hard.

* * *

Sasuke's assault continued, but Orochimaru's attention flickered somewhere else. A spot of red come into his gaze, right next to a spot of silver. His palm wrecked into the avenger's chest, pushing him off. Before his next body had enough time to attack again, the snake's hand came up, signalling to stop.

The two leaped down from their branch, landing just in front of the two. Orochimaru looked unharmed still, where as Sasuke was resting on his knees, for the rare moment where he caught his breath.

"Good use of your surroundings Sasuke-kun. Never forget it." His eyes switched from the 'hn'ing avenger to the redhead. "So you finally decided to join us."

"I ain't freaking late." The flute-user responded firmly.

"Ok Tayuya," His tongue slithered out and licked his lips mid-sentence. "It's time to see you and Sasuke-kun's first training spar."

"You sure you shouldn't give the duck a rest?"

Said duck rolled his eyes. Just as he suspected, another fangirl. Why can't they care about themselves before --,

"I don't want to end up beating the shit out of his cum loving ass too easily, would I?" She finished smirking.

The boy's thoughts stopped. First, he was wondering how to take the insult, which truth be told, was better than anything he heard back in Konoha. After deciding to ignore it, his mind got back to the issue. This girl. She challenged him. Not cared, not worried, **challenged**.

"Let's go." He finally spoke, standing upright.

A smirk formed on her lips as he responded. "So, you actually _want_ to het your assed kicked?"

This girl was beginning to get interesting.

* * *

After getting into the trees, Tayuya noticed another unnatural feature of the training grounds. No wind. Unlike elsewhere, there was no soft breeze to help ease the tension in the air. It just built and built until the feeling ripped your body open. The only remedy for it was movement. The feeling made your body yearn to move, even if it was a punch, leap, roll, nod, tapping foot, as long as it wasn't idle, lest the feeling get too much of an upper hand.

The two stood on a large branch facing each other. Each one kept emotionless faces as the stared the other down. Mentally however, Tayuya's expression was more of a smirk. _Ok, I've seen this shithead fight before, but he hasn't seen me. 'They' took care of him that time. _She was careful not to mention the rest of the Sound Four. If anything, she'd like that part of her life to not even be a distant memory. _Plus, he's also tired from training all morning. He even began to slow down towards the end of him and Orochimaru's spar, which means that he's almost spent. I just hope I don't kill him… Too quickly that is._

Sasuke took the first move. He rushed to the redhead, zigzagging. The girl's defence immediately came up. Stopping, the raven threw a punch to the redhead. A flurry of fists followed. The kunoichi's hands barely managed to push each away in time. In the midst of the flurry, her eyes flickered down to see movement. Before she knew it, his foot was moving to her abdomen. Tayuya flew back, leaving a slight accomplished look on her opponent's face. However, instead of crashing to the ground, she flipped, landing on feet, crouching and skidding.

Sasuke's eyebrow slightly rose. _That was… unexpected. I was sure that I hit…_

Glancing at her hands, Tayuya's thoughts went off. _My reaction time's shortened. _Her eyes went back to the boy. _ But I still can't keep up enough… Time for a different approach…_

Unfortunately for her, Sasuke was on the attack again.

_Shithead's impatient… _She scowled. _But, I'm not on to talk._

He leaped, raising his legs. The girl only stood and watched as he slammed it down square on her head. Pieces of bark and splinters rose as she made impact with the branch. Correction, as log did that. The avenger's eyes widened at the **Kawarimi no Jutsu **and his body immediately turned… right into a kick.

"**Ora**!!"

It was a swift, aerial roundhouse kick to the head. Without enough time, and being caught a bit off guard, the boy threw his arm next to his head, softening the blow. His hand then switched, trapping the leg. Her fist moved next. It shot towards his head, causing his other hand to come up to block. They paused briefly. Sasuke's combat mind took a split second to analyze before giving his body instructions. Tayuya was waiting for Sasuke to move.

He spun around a few times before tossing the girl into the trees.

Inwardly, foul mouth smirked. _Hook, line and bitched! He's nowhere are complicated as pine-ass-pple. Maybe if I see him again, after kicking his ass I'll thank him for the __good fight. _After sending chakra to her feet, she stuck onto a branch and began formulating. _Ok, if I come in and out like that, I should win. May not be a graceful way, but shit that. I ain't no fairy._

Suddenly,

**Tak, tak, tak!!**

Echoed through the forest. The Oto kunoichi's eyes widened as the sound met her ears. She quickly turned, only to get,

**BAM!!!**

A fist rammed into her stomach. Pain filled her abdomen as she fell off the branch from the punch. Even then it wasn't over yet. The sounds echoed again, and next thing she knew,

**BAM!!!**

Another fist rammed into her back. Blood slowly leaked into her throat as her eyes widened and jaw slackened. She shot up this time, towards a branch. The echoes came again and the raven appeared on the branch, ready to strike. The only thing he failed to notice was that Tayuya's fist was already out.

**BAM!!!**

Sasuke slammed against the branch before falling to the lower regions of the trees. Tayuya's other hand caught the branch, allowing her to spin around and land on top. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her back as she cursed. "Shitty duck-ass! I originally planned on trying to see how long I could last but screw it! Flute time!!" Her hand quickly opened her holster and pulled out her flute. As she lifted it to her lips, her eyes caught sight of something.

Or rather, didn't catch sight. It was sliced, and as it neared her head she could hear that many of the remaining valves were broken to pieces.

"Freaking Suna bitch!!" She fumed. The thought of chucking the flute then came to mind, but instead she placed it back in her holster. Despite that fact that even she knew it was beyond repair, and it had gone to that point and back many times, she had it for most of her life and it actually meant something to her.

Echoes filled the air, snapping the redhead out of her thoughts.

_Ok, I'm gonna have to take this hit and recover quickly._ Her strategic mind was already in motion. _After, he always hits three trees. So, all I have to do is anticipate his direction from the sound and hit back. Only thing is, he'll probably change strategies after I succeed._

Sasuke neared. He bounced off the trees and raced up. _I'll end this…_ He thought.

He dashed up to the redhead's side. She remained still, most likely paralyzed or confused was his rationale for that.

**Bam!!**

His fist pounded into her cheek, sending her flying. He then continued with his Three-Dash rush. He shot off towards one tree, using the momentum to shoot off to another, faster. Finally, he blasted off the third tree, going at speeds which almost exceeded his own.

_This will finish it girl._ Was all he had to say. As expected, she couldn't keep up. He slowed the moment he reached a branch, his attack already prepared. Something unfortunately was wrong as the girl approached.

Since when did her path move and why was her leg up?

**WAM!!!**

Tayuya's return kick hit directly on Sasuke's head, sending him into the nearby trunk and down into the depths.

A laugh escaped her lips as she looked down. "Didn't you hear me? I told you, I'm going to beat the shit out of you! So here's the ass whopping!!" Her eyebrow rose and she stopped her banter and the forest suddenly lit up.

A huge fireball blasted in front of her face, consuming everything in its path.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu.**"

More fireballs blasted from below, hitting branches and trunks. The forest lit up more as fire began to consume the redhead's area.

"Try again." She responded as she leaped off her branch, escaping to a lower one. Her eyes widened as she saw a large section of fire in front of her. "Shit…"

**…**

The girl blinked blankly. "Birds? But this place is artificial, there can't be any birds here…"

The fire seemed to part in front of Tayuya, leaving a hole going right through. In the blink of an eye it closed again and a figure rushed towards the kunoichi. Lightning engulfed Sasuke's left hand and his speed was even faster than before.

Automatically, dodging was no longer an option. It must give sort of or impact, and even it he missed, he could just try again from behind. Instead, she dashed to him, planning a last second avoid-and-direct-hit tactic.

It seemed like minutes, but it was actually seconds. Sasuke and Tayuya's arm thrusted out, one holding Chidori and the other a plain fist. They neared, neared and neared…

"That's enough."

A hand stopped each of them, as well as ousted the flames. The birds stopped moving, hovering right over the redhead's chest and a fist was millimetres away from contact.

"No need to continue." Orochimaru said, holding each of them. The redhead's eyes widened at the man's speed.

Tayuya's eyes remained wide as the lightning chakra hovered over her chest. _If Orochimaru didn't stop us, I would have…_

"Come now," The snake proceeded with a flash step, disappearing to the forest floor.

Before leaping down, the avenger shot a quick smirk at the wide eyed kunoichi.

Tayuya took a few steps, before smashing her fist against the tree trunk. _What the hell is wrong with me!? Am I trying to go for a record or something?! Less than a week and I've already seen a shinigami's face twice!!_ Her fists tightened, begging to draw blood as her thoughts changed to words. "Why am I so… weak?"

* * *

Once she made her way down, the first thing she saw was Sasuke down on his knees, barely keeping consciousness. Next came a pissed Orochimaru.

"Sasuke-kun!! You shouldn't exhaust yourself to such levels, especially during simple training like this!" The snake scolded. "Of course this isn't a real situation, with more variables like other ninja to consider, but you haven't fully recovered yet and now you need to train effectively, not excessively." Anyone else would have thought that the pale skinned ninja actually cared about his pupil, but the redhead knew he was just worried about the avenger scratching the paint. After all, this wasn't the first time she saw him with one of his 'pupils'.

His eyes then turned to the kunoichi. "Tayuya, you've changed your fighting style."

The girl snorted at the statement. "It's not like I had a choice. Your last mission cost me." She pulled out her sliced flute, with even more pieces falling out. "So, when am I getting a new one?"

"…Whenever…" The man retorted, turning to his silver haired minion.

A growl emitted from Tayuya. "Freaking cheap ass…" She mumbled.

Orochimaru stopped, one hand slowly forming a handsign. "Would you mind repeating that?"

Suddenly, pain burst through Tayuya's body as her mark caught on fire. Her hand immediately came up to the mark, clenching the back of her neck.

"I didn't quite hear that properly." He poured more chakra with a smirk.

The pain grew as her mark crawled open, reaching down her arm and leg. The now blazing red marks burned and pierced, sending even more pain coursing through her body. Her knees buckled as she fell, dropping to her knees and her face hit the grassy floor. The raven began to watch between gasps now.

Slowly, the girl raised her head. "My… bad. My bad… I said," A pause. "Damn freaking cheap ass."

The snake turned, rage written all over his face. "I will not tolerate such insolence!"

The chakra increased, throwing the mark over her whole body. Pain rose to excruciating levels, and screams of pain leaped from her throat. Her fists then clenched, digging into the dirt. She bit her lip, trying to hold in the screams and grinded her teeth. Finally, she glanced up, a defiant blaze in her eyes.

"Damn freaking cheap ass son of a bitch…"

Sasuke's eyes widened at the response. Despite the pain, both physical and mental, she still persisted. Even if it would be easier than the world to apologize, she refused to. What really caught his eyes the most was the look on her face. She didn't a timid one, or anything that childish. No. There was this fire on her face, this defiance in her eyes. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before in a female.

_This girl is… interesting…_

The most unexpected thing happened next. The pale hand causing the redhead's pain dropped, releasing her. The inhumanely cruel member of the sannin just stopped his punishment, something which was known to go on for hours.

Once freed, the marked girl fell flat on the ground, exhausted.

"Sasuke!!" Anger still staining his voice, evidence in the missing 'kun'. "No more physical activity today. Give your body time to rest. We start chakra training tomorrow." He began walking away. "**You…**" The words spewed from his mouth and even though he wasn't looking at her, the flute user could feel a glare. "Make sure he does as ordered."

Kabuto and his boss left the grounds on that note. Once they got through the doors and into the corridor, Kabuto could keep his mouth shut for no more.

"Orochimaru-sama," He began. "Why did you let Tayuya get away with that insubordination? Normally, she would have been tortured until submission."

"It doesn't matter." Slithered out of the man's mouth. "Once her purpose is fulfilled…"

* * *

The two teens rested in the artificial grounds, Sasuke on his back and Tayuya on her stomach. Time passed, and the only sounds which came were the rhythmic breathing of the two. Suddenly, it was broken. The sounds of crushing grass came to the redhead's ears. Her head turned reluctantly to see the Uchiha's back, as he shakily walked into the forest.

"Hn," She sounded. "I should probably stop that jackass…" Slowly, she pushed off the ground, rising to her feet.

For someone who walked shakily, once he got into the forest he just seemed to vanish. The flute user's head turned in circles as she peered through the darkness. A soft sound then came from her side. Her feet slowly carried her to it, leading her deeper into the trees.

Sasuke stood in front of a small tree, resting on his knees. _This isn't good enough… I can't wait for Orochimaru to train me at his own pace. The sooner I can kill __**him**__, the better. It's time to take things into my own hands._ He got up, ready to go again.

"As much as I'm for disobeying that Pedo-snake, you should stop." A voice called out to him. He looked back to see the kunoichi leaning on a tree.

"Hn." _Why the hell do you care?_

She stepped closer. "Honestly, I don't care if you fall down and die right now, but if something happens to you right now, I'm screwed."

… "…Hn…" He turned back to the tree.

She came closer, hands in her pockets. "Fine. If you want, you can continue but I can't say for what will happen if you do."

A smirk came on the avenger's face. All of a sudden, his motivation to continue heightened. The challenge, especially since it was from her, made it all worth his while. He raised his leg, daring her. She removed her hands from her pockets, assuring him. He swung his leg. It glided through the air, moving to the tree. It went closer, closer…

**BAM!!!**

A backhand slammed into his cheek the moment his leg touched the tree. He flipped over, landing ungracefully on his face.

"Now that you know," The kunoichi cracked her knuckles as she talked. "What's it going to be, bitch?"

Forget anything said before, to Sasuke, this girl was already more than interesting.

* * *

Tayuya sat on the ground, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. The only problem was, she was beyond bored. She hadn't even been there for an hour, but her patience was gone with the wind. Or to be more specific, shocked to ash.

There she was, sitting on the ground trying to concentrate her chakra into the air, which was supposed to be some for of elemental chakra training, getting nowhere and that freaking duck was practically having his own version of Swan Lake with lightning. He conjured the lightning easily, slowly spinning it around him using his index fingers as lightning rods. His eyes were closed, showing the concentration needed for the exhibition.

Somehow, Sasuke managed to get through the previous day. He made more than enough attempts to ditch the redhead and sneak in some training, only to be met with some sort of aggressive action or her standing in front of him. She even forced him to eat, starting a massive food fight, something which is not appreciated by Orochimaru, in the process. To make the story sweeter, the Avenger even tried to fake sleeping and sneak out later in the night. That almost earned him a black eye. Only reason he didn't get it was caught some of his stamina returned to he was able to block most of the blunt damage. So now, both of them lacked sleep, got yelled at for starting a food fight and Tayuya was warned about her treatment of Akhito.

The kunoichi's eyebrow twitched as the sound of crackling lightning continued to pierce the air. She could feel the presence of her pale skinned master as he witnessed the Uchiha's demonstration. He was trying to gauge his knowledge of elemental chakra, which to be honest, even Tayuya would admit was good for a genin.

Most genin don't even know about elemental chakra, far less how to control it. He was able to comfortably use fire and even had some control over lightning. The boy knew more than his share of Katon jutsu, and despite being his only Raiton jutsu, the '_Chidori_' was impressive. That still didn't make his showing off any less annoying.

She could almost feel his smirk on face as he saw her make zero progress.

Her eyebrow twitched again as the crackling sound grew, accompanied by an increase in the chakra in the area. He was going further, controlling more than just one bolt, but trying to stretch his control all the way to three. Or, so her ears told her.

"Tayuya," Orochimaru called. "Focus."

_Focus on what dammit!?! You can't even get some of that freaking chakra paper I've heard about!! I'm just sitting her breathing like an ass while that freaking duck is dancing with lightning!!_ A loud sigh escaped the redhead's lips as she tried to calm her quickly heating nerves. _Calm down, at least _try_ and focus. Just don't pay that idiot any mind. It's just you and your chakra. You and your chakra. You and…_

The crackling sound became louder, as apparently Sasuke was trying to stretch his skills even further.

The girl's eyebrow twitched again, and her legs slowly began to fidget as the sound crashed through her thoughts. _That freaking son of a…_

"Tayuya," The snake said again. "Keep your focus."

Another sigh came as she calmed her nerves. _**Again**_. This time, she resolved not to get distracted again. No matter how much he showed off, no matter how much she wanted to kick his ass, no matter how wide that freaking smirk was on his face, no matter… _Keep on track!! Focus on chakra! _My_ chakra!!_ She mentally yelled as she cleared her mind again.

Slowly, a slight feeling filled the air around her. It was beginning to feel slightly disturbed, as if something was just going wrong, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. What was going on? Why were her instincts yelling out to her? Was this was using elemental chakra was like?

**BOOOM!!!**

The redhead's hair blew to a side a lightning crashed onto a tree in front of her. Some distance behind her, the avenger stood fingers pointed in her direction.

He froze, his curiosity getting the best of him. Up until now, she broke any moulds he thought she would fit in, and he was interested in seeing what she would do now. In all honesty, he hadn't meant to fire it so close to her. He didn't even mean to fire it. _I lost control…_ The avenger thought looking at his fingers for a spilt second.

For a few moments, she remained still, as if nothing happened at all. She took one long breath, still in her sitting position.

Then, she broke.

"YOU FREAKING JACKASS PIECE OF SHIT!! YOU CAN'T EVEN AIM YOUR SHITTY PIECE OF LIGHTNING CRAP!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, getting up and charging at Sasuke. He leaped back, dodging the fist she threw at him. "Stop running, you cum filled asshole!!! I'll push so many kunai up you ass that you won't even feel it the next time --!"

"Tayuya," Orochimaru beaconed.

"Your freaking shit gets pushed up by –!"

"Tayuya…"

"WHAT!?!" Her head snapped around, her eyes white circles and her fists balled.

The man let his hand do the talking. It led her eyes down, across some grass, to black. Her words stopped as she started at the scorched spot on the ground where she once sat.

"It seems like you're a fire affinity." He said in a rather bored tone.

The redhead blinked at few times at the scorched spot. A smirk then spread across her face as she spun around to the Uchiha. "Ya-Ha!! What you got to say now bitch!?"

"**Katon…**" His hands began forming handsigns as he started the name of a jutsu.

"Shit you…" She folded her arms. "Show off."

"Keep your focus girl." The snake sent shivers down her spine as the words crept into her ears. He stood directly behind her, with something in his hands.

_I hate it when he does that!!_

In his hands was a lantern. It looked basic enough, with the chamber inside and four glass sides around it.

"I'm assuming this is for my training, since it's not even close to night-time yet." Tayuya commented, looking at the lantern.

Opening the lantern, Orochimaru held the fuse in it until a small trail of smoke rose from his fingers. He then dropped the lantern in the redhead's hands, a small flame now flickering in the lantern. "Keep it lit." His attention returned to his pride and joy.

"Ahem."

Slowly, his head turned again.

_Wow, he's like a kid who I keep calling while he's trying to read his favourite book. Oh wait, I am doing that._ "How do I do that, Orochimaru-sensei?" She tried to put as innocent a smile on her face as she could as the pale skinned man glared at her.

His pale hands rested on the glass as he explained. "Focus on the fire. Push your chakra through the glass, through the fire and back in your other hand. The main thing is **focus**."

"Arigato Orochimaru-sensei!" Tayuya grinned.

_You can taunt me with honorifics, but you can't say '_sama_'… _The snake almost sulked as he turned around. _I think I finally remember why I only train one, hand picked person at a time._ "Alright Sasuke-kun. Your lightning control…"

The flute user drowned out the rest. She placed her hands the same way as Orochimaru and closed her eyes. _Let your chakra flow… Focus on the flame… Keep it alive…_ Slowly, she eased her chakra through the glass and into the lantern. She could feel it swirling around inside, before forcing its way through the glass and into her other hand. _Yes… I think it's working… I can feel the chakra. Wait, why does my hand feel cold?_

She opened her eyes to see a trail of smoke leaving the lantern.

"Nani!?!" Raced out of the girl's mouth. "What the hell!? It died!?"

Orochimaru stopped mid-sentence, already knowing what was coming next.

"Hey!! What gives!?!" The redhead's finger pointed at her trainer. "You said all I had to do was focus my chakra! You giving false information or something!?"

"If you cannot grasp such a simple concept on your own, you are not worth my time." The man deadpanned, not even turning around to look at the girl.

"Well – I – You -…" She stumbled over her words. With a sigh, "At least show me how it's done…"

"I can't do that."

_It's supposed to be so freaking easy, yet you're saying you can't do it!?_

"With my level of chakra, even if I was trying my best I push so much chakra into the lantern that the flame would run wild and engulf the whole lantern. **That's** how easy that exercise is. Anyone who can't accomplish that isn't even fit to be a slave."

The girl's jaw slacked as the words reached her ears. The crap then hit the fan. Her teeth grinded. Anger began to fill her veins and her grip on the lantern tightened. _Why… Why does that always come to haunt me? Why is everyone stronger than me? Why am I so weak compared to everyone else?_

"There are two rocks underneath. Use those to make a spark and try again." The snake ordered.

"…Hai…"

* * *

"Alright Sasuke-kun, as I was saying. For your usage of lightning chakra, you can either go through the long process of learning every single thing about lightning chakra before learning how to use it, or use what you know. That move, **Chidori** has a good foundation, especially since it is pure, unmodified lightning chakra. Along with your sharingan, you can examine the technique and build new techniques from it." The snake almost lectured. "I've realized that you've began to change it, and doing that alone is of a higher train of thought than the ordinary shinobi. This is what separates the commoners from the geniuses. Analyze and develop new jutsu from your current ones. Don't be a fool and use the same technique without giving it any thought until your life is at zero."

Sasuke seemed to be taking it all in, staring at his hand a few times mid sentence.

"I know you have a limit on your **Chidori**, but there are certain barriers which you must overcome. It is something you must figure out yourself. For now, focus on understanding the technique and everything else will follow." The snake man turned to leave the area. "This first step must be crossed on your own. Once you have, we'll continue with the next."

Two sets of glares blasted at the back of his head as Orochimaru walked through the doors.

"Pff, some trainer he is. Can't even do his freaking job, ne?" Tayuya muttered, taking a quick glance at Sasuke from her seat on the floor.

"Hn," _The longer I stay here there more I'm beginning to think I would just be better on my own._

Each returned to the matter at hand. The redhead's eyes closed again as she concentrated on the fire. It flickered wildly, threatening to go off at any moment. Three handsigns formed on the Uchiha's hands as his left one dropped. Lightning sprung from the palm, crackling until it formed a ball of dancing energy. He closed his eyes for a second, opening them again to reveal red eyes. Black rings with three dots on them formed instead of his usual black irises.

_Sharingan…_

_So that's the Sharingan Orochimaru was bitching about so much._ The girl thought as she stared at the boy. Her flame was out for a while, since his **Chidori** started.

The avenger stared at the lightning chakra with his doujutsu, not even sure himself what he was looking for. _I need to develop this… Is he calling it weak? Then it needs more power._ He poured more chakra into the jutsu, causing the lightning to grow, spreading out over his arm and crackling wildly.

The girl shook her head at the sight. _He doesn't get it…_ She looked at her hands, which were rubbing two stones together in an attempt to get a spark. _Now I just wish I did…_

The **Chidori** died out, leaving a weak and exhausted Sasuke. He panted a few times, before getting up again.

No sooner than the flame got lit, did it die again. A frustrated growl escaped the flute user as she glared at the lantern. _Freak this. A lone wolf is the first to die anyway._ "Yo, duck."

Sasuke decided to ignore her. What would he gain from her anyway?

She growled louder this time. "Hey! Don't you hear me talking to you?!"

His eyebrow twitched a little. _Can't this girl take a hint?_

An angry sigh let Tayuya's mouth as she placed the lantern down. "Everyone like a freaking gorilla these days… Unless you scratch their back first they won't even look at yours…" She mumbled. "I can help you in what you're trying to do."

The Uchiha's eyes widened.

Tayuya snorted. "So **now** I've got your attention." She pointed to his hands. "You're going about it the wrong way. Think about your weaknesses, or the weaknesses of the jutsu and try to bend it around those. For example, let's say you rushed me with it and I step aside and knee you in your chest," Sasuke's eyes widened at the awakening memory. "If you make a variation that is long ranged or covers you whole body, it'll remove that flaw. Try using as little chakra as possible."

The avenger stared harder at the girl, enquiring more but still not in the mood to talk.

"You dumb or something?"

"Hn."

"Mould the freaking chakra, jackass." The boy continued to stare. "This first step must be crossed on your own." A glare shot at the kunoichi. "Why are you glaring at me? You're the one who chose to let him push your shit up!"

Sasuke turned, ready to try to follow what little advice was given to him. His hands came up, ready to start handsigns.

"Hey, hey, hey!! My back still itches you bitch!!" The girl yelled, throwing one of the spark stones at him. It hit him dead on, resulting in him turning around with the strongest glare he'd sent all day.

He stepped to her, bending down to her level on the ground. Slowly, his hands found a place over hers, and chakra began to flow.

_It feels warm…_ Tayuya thought as her cheeks began to heat up from the contact.

The avenger however glared at her. _Everytime. Just when I thought I finally found someone different…_ He thought with a mental sigh.

The glare failed to go unnoticed, as a growl escaped the girl's throat. "What the hell you glaring for!? I just ain't used to people being all touchy touchy with me."

The fuse inside burst to flames, dancing and flickering about inside the lantern. The girl's eyes widened a bit at the control of the flame, which was beginning to be morphed and manipulated into shapes and sizes.

"Freaking show-off."

The boy gave a small smirk as he let his chakra empty from the lantern, killing the flame.

"You know, even though I felt your chakra I still have no idea what you just did." The redhead said with slight annoyance in her voice.

"H--." She managed to cut off his nasal reply.

"Just freaking talk you retard."

He stayed quiet for a moment, until opening his mouth. "The key to Katon is breath. Your breath controls any fire you make."

Tayuya stared in awe at the boy. "Wow… your voice sounds faggotish."

Ignoring that, he continued. "Bring out the fire within your lungs, and push it out through your body or mouth. Depends on the jutsu."

"Thanks for scratching that itch. Just know, if this doesn't work I'm gonna kick your nuts so hard that instead of having 2, you'll have 27." Her eyes flickered down. "And get your hands off me! I don't know how many different people's stick you've touched with that!"

On that note, he got up, casting a quick glance at his own hands. _… It was nothing…_ However, as he walked back to a good enough distance to be able to drown out any possible insults, his hands were unconsciously being rubbed together.

* * *

Some hours later, a disturbance filled the air. A disturbance which once felt is never mistaken. Orochimaru's chakra. He oozed out of a tree, coming out head first, with his foot following. His skin quickly changed from the brown of the tree to its usual pale white, and his clothes oozed into shape.

"Heh," The redhead huffed. "So who the hell did you insult earlier today?"

The snake's head turned to see a fire burning in the lantern which was held in the kunoichi's hands.

The sound of crackling lightning came, and the man's head turned almost enthusiastically to see lightning chakra around the Uchiha's entire hand, not just his palm.

"Kukuku… I seemed my calculations were off a bit. I weren't expecting either of you to progress until the next session. No matter, we'll continue as planned. Starting from the next sessions, we'll start working on your bodies."

* * *

**Ora = Has no real meaning. Just a shout someone does. It's like the cliche 'Hiya!' people say when they do a 'karate chop'.**

**Kawarimi no Jutsu = Substitution Jutsu (just in case you forgot, since no one uses it anymore)**

**Nothing much to say. Until the next chapter.  
**


	4. Unwelcomed Apprentice

**Chapter 4: Unwelcomed Apprentice**

**Screams and shouts pierced though the air, each one more scared and horrified than the last.**

**This time, there was no heat, no red hue. All around, instead of proper, wooden or stone buildings, there were what could barely be called thatch huts. Still, civilization or not, orders were orders.**

**The settlement was built around a main area. It was practically risen, with what seemed to be an artificially sunken area in front of them. The huts were built around this, in such a way that no matter where you were the centre was visible. Now, there were more than enough people who wished that they couldn't see.**

"**AHHHHH!" Rang through the air once more.**

**In the sunken area was the origin of the scream. Like animals, everyone in the settlement was rounded up and collected in the centre. There was no discrimination in who was collected. Men, women, elderly even children were thrown in the centre.**

_**No…**_

_**Stop it…**_

_**This is wrong…**_

**Their captives also thought it amusing to add insult to injury by humiliating them as well. Many stood without or missing articles of clothing. Along with being packed, they also stood awkwardly in the crowd, receiving glances of both kinds from the other captives.**

**Suddenly, two more people were shoved into the sardines.**

"**There two rats were trying to hide from us." A large man said. His short, orange hair and beige and purple clothes gave his affiliations away. **

"**Good job fatass," The girl in the group of invaders said. "At least you can do more than just stuff your ass with food."**

"**A lady shouldn't use that kind of language." The orange haired man replied.**

**Next to the girl, stood another one of her comrades. His skin was darker and instead of two, six arms grew out of hid sides. Bound by four of those arms was an old, frail man. His long grey hair swayed with every slight move.**

**The man's mouth opened, ready to speak. The girl caught sight of this however.**

**BAM!**

**The man flew against the spider's arms and blood dripped out from his mouth. All shouts, all screams, everything turned silent as all the captives looked on.**

"**No one asked for your opinion!" She growled as she kicked him. Hard.**

"**Ooo…" The spider said. "Pretty harsh."**

"**:I don't see the difference." The final one said. His purple lips curled into a smirk. The back of his neck bulged and grey quickly formed, continuing the sentence.**

"**They all know what kind of melody we're going to make with him anyway."**

**Shoving the man forward, the spider and the two headed man stepped forward. Panic spread like a wildfire through the captives as they saw the manhandling of the man. Individual murmurs clustered together, forming one large mass of noise.**

"**Hey…" The second head called out. "Aren't they a bit loud? I'd appreciate it if you shut them up, brother."**

"**Yeah… Their melody is giving me a headache…" He turned to face the girl. "If you please."**

"**Hey! HEY!" She yelled at the crowd. "SHUT THE HELL UP YOU FREAKING CAVEMEN!"**

**The crowd seemed to get the message from the fuming girl and slowly but surely calmed down.**

"**Now! This is the example!" The pale skinned boy started in an almost preaching tone. "We told you to come quietly, we told you not to run, not to hide, but you still resisted. This is your fate is you disobey Orochimaru-sama!" He reached into a pouch. "The ultimate destination!" His hand flicked out a kunai, raising it high before bringing it down. Towards the man's neck.**

"**Stop!" The girl caught his hand above his neck. "We shouldn't be doing this." She glanced at the sighing cluster. "Look at them. They look up to, no, worship this man He's obviously more than the soul of the settlement. Do you know what losing him will do to them? Their souls will be crushed, no, vanish! I'm sure Orochimaru-sama will understand."**

"**You know, I think you're…"**

**FWAP!**

**Red spewed into the air as the man's head awkwardly tilted forward.**

"**Wrong." A smirk grew on his face as the red splattered on his cheek and the man's head dropped to the floor.**

"_**AHHHHHHHH!**_**" A mad scream sounded from the sardines, chained by more screams and yells of fear and terror. That wasn't the only sounds however.**

"**Whahahahaha!" The girl laughed, licking some blood off her cheek. "That never gets old, does it?"**

"**Yeah!" The pale skinned boy laughed. "Did you see the looks on their faces?"**

"**Excellent move!" The spider laughed as well.**

_**No…**_

_**Stop laughing…**_

_**That's wrong…**_

_**It's not funny…**_

"**Now come on! Get moving!" All laughter stopped as people began to be pushed towards the entrance. "Orochimaru-sama likes his slaves delivered quickly."**

"**Come on you freaking lazyasses!" The girl added as she kicked some people forward. "Now that you've lost your soul, you'll fit right in were where we're going. A little place I call… Hell."**

_**No…**_

_**No…**_

_**No.**_

* * *

"No!" Red sprung up from the covers. Sweat crawled down the girl's face and her breathing was long gone erratic. Catching her breath, Tayuya scowled as she muttered. "One more and I get a free yogurt…"

The muffled sound of running water filled the room and a trace of light pierced through the crack in the door.

_Duck's up… _Throwing her slightly damp cover aside, she swung her legs around, placing her bare feet on the wooden floor. _Since I'm up already, might as well tail him. Couldn't hurt to see what training is more important than eating._

After taking a few seconds to wipe the sleep from her eyes, she marched to the bathroom, walking through the door. She then rested on the wall facing away from the glass shower doors. Her fists knocked harshly on the glass doors, alerting the occupant.

The water stopped and the door slid ajar, allowing steam to pour out.

…

…

…

For a couple of minutes, no one spoke. Silence filled the air as both persons awaited the other's response.

"You know I'm not going to say anything until you do." Tayuya finally spoke.

A sigh came from inside shower. "…What…?" The male voice spoke.

"Wait for me after you finish."

"…Why…?"

"You're going to train aren't you?" The girl replied. "I'm starting to rust."

"…Hn…" A hand quickly reached out of the shower, open palmed.

…

…

…

An aggravated sigh floated out, placing a smirk on the kunoichi's face. "Towel."

"Good boy!" She chimed as the towel fell in to his hands. "Next, I think I'll teach you to count."

A few seconds later, the door slid open and the avenger walked out, towel only covering the important stuff and water dripping from the rest.

"Give me five," She paused. "No, ten."

"Eight." He responded, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Her clothes came off quickly and she wasted no time in letting hot water rain over body. Running her hand through her hair, she let a minute pass by with the only activity being the falling water and her own voice.

"…Damn… Why did he have to look good…?"

* * *

He waited for her and once her clothes were on, he silently exited the room with her tailing behind. For the whole trip the Uchiha kept silent, barely even motioning to the kunoichi when to stop of speed up. He led them passed the guards and out of the base. From there, hr brought her a little way off, far enough that the sound wouldn't be heard but still within comfortable memory space.

Once there, it was apparent that Sasuke had been there before. Many of the trees had sections of their bark damaged and one in particular looked blacker than the others. The trees there were not packed as closely together as others. In the centre was an extra large tree. Its massive leaf span barely even allowed grass under its sunlight grabbing reach.

The moment they landed, travel on ground was too tedious; the girl's eye quickly analysed the area. Little did she realize that the avenger was already doing some quick stretches. By the time she realized what he was doing, it was too late, so she did what felt like a stretch and one or two she knew.

Sasuke's eye widened once he saw. Immediately, his hand came up, stopping her. Snapping his fingers to gain her attention, he stretched all over again, slowly enough for her to follow. "…Useless…"

A growl escaped Tayuya's throat. "It isn't my fault, ok! Blame that freaking snake. His idea of 'training' was throwing you in a cage with one of his crazed patients or a mission."

"Hn." Was the only response she got. Usually she would have growled, but given that the duck could actually be of some use to her, she swallowed and stretched.

He finished quickly, wishing to get on with his own training than starting hers. He quickly rushed up to one of the trees and began kicked. Using the power from that kick, he pushed off the tree, flipping backwards and landing in front of the same tree. His legs afterwards starting kicking normally, focusing on form and power. The redhead, seeing this, tried to examine his form. Slowly, she walked over to one of the stumps, still watching the Uchiha.

As she stood in front of the tree, trying to maintain some kind of stance as her leg began to rise. Her leg flew out from her side, as she tried to mimic the avenger's movement. However, one thing felt… Off. Since when did his world start to tilt to the side?

Sasuke practically glared when he saw red and green collide. _The longer I stay here, the more I question Orochimaru's training. _"Get up."

"Hm? You're actually talking by choice?" Tayuya stumbled to her feet. However, her mind was swift and her head slowly dropped. "Damn… Am I that suckish?" The scowl on his face gave her the answer.

Since he wasn't in a talking mood, something which stopped existing a long time ago, the avenger took a more aggressive approach to teaching her. He walked over from his tree and physically fixed her stance. His hands moved almost all over her body, fixing and adjusting her part until it seemed good enough. Once done, he returned to his tree and began kicking. Only to see the redhead doing a sloppy job of kicking and going to fix it. Again. This time however, it was a bit more… touchy.

The girl's cheeks lit to two different shades of red as the boy's hands found themselves on her thighs. He intended to make her body move to the proper way, but his hands stalled for a moment, getting too comfortable.

_Move… Move… _Her head pleaded. Please, it's all she wanted. At this of all times, the last thing she needed was, _Oh God… Don't move… Just a little longer…_ Her body gave in to the feeling. It felt so wrong having him so close, so… hands on but at the same time… why did it have to feel so good? It felt like some kind of guilty indulgence, something which you know you shouldn't be taking but that just made it feel all the better. Couldn't the world give her more incentive to detest him? She could feel her cheeks warming, she knew he could see. _Cover up… Quick…_

"H-Hey!" She tried her best to look mad. It sent something closer to mixed signals than anything else. "Tr-Try to hurry it u-up, will ya! Th-This isn't a lap dance you know!"

_Why am I stopping?_ He asked himself, staring at his hand and at the girl's red face. Snapping out of whatever it was, he quickly moved her leg in the proper form and backed off. However, the kicks just weren't the same after that. _What's with me? Why am I helping her? I could have just left her, probably to get herself killed and give me the solitude I want… So why am I doing this?_

* * *

After some kicks, punches, speed training and other exercises, Tayuya was almost beat. Her body was just too weak and she couldn't keep up with her teammate.

"Damn…" She mumbled through her breaths. "I'm almost spent and that freaking duck looks like he's finally warmed up for his morning swim." _Then again, only a fool would think that they could suddenly switch from Genjutus to Taijutsu easily… _Something unexpected happened next.

A loud growl broke the silence, causing the girl's cheeks to light up in embarrassment. The Uchiha cast an eye as the noise stopped him in his tracks.

"And apparently I'm hungry." The girl translated the very audible message sent by her stomach. _And since the hell when do I get embarrassed? My boobs aren't out or anything so why are my cheeks lighting!_

"Go." The boy said, beginning to channel his chakra. Quickly, his hands formed the three most familiar handsigns in his mind.

"Tough luck, you're not skipping breakfast. Or, at least your food isn't going to waste." She said, kicking him forwards. "Besides, if you use any chakra now, it'll spoil your training."

"…Hn…" The boy responded firmly.

The girl growled back. "Jackass! If you don't give your body enough time to rest, you'll just end up killing yourself or damaging you body!" This time, she grabbed his collar and pulled him towards the base. "Now get moving."

Seeing that it would be more trouble than worth to resist, especially after hearing he could possibly weaken himself by doing it, he began to go back to the base.

Before laving with him, something donned on Tayuya. She looked back, into the dense wilderness.

This could be her chance.

_I'm so close… If I just turn around…_

I practically called her name, screaming for her to join it. She herself craved it, longing for it with every fibre in her being desiring nothing more.

However, she put her head down and faced the direction Sasuke leapt into. Her feet pushed off into the tree, sending her after her teammate. She left it there, still calling her name, still waiting for her embrace.

Freedom.

* * *

"Lower Sasuke-kun!" A voice yelled. "Your strikes are too high! Strike your opponents centre of gravity down!"

The artificial sun blazed down in the training grounds as Sasuke rushed at the target again. His body was low and he swerved while running. Once near the target, he rose, delivering two swift punches before spinning to give a kick to the waist.

"What are you waiting for? Go again! You have barely even begun to comprehend this style of fighting!"

Nodding, the black haired teen leaped back to his starting point. Sweat poured down his face as the length of his training was showing.

Suddenly, red appeared from the trees. The snake growled audibly as the girl reluctantly walked towards him.

"… Done…" Tayuya scowled.

Eyeing the sweatless girl, he waved her off. "Go and send chakra to your hands and feet, hang under a branch and do one hundred push ups."

_It'll take me forever to do that… My max is thirty…_ "… Hai…"

The pale skinned man wasted no more attention on the girl, tuning back to his apprentice. "You're becoming predictable! Your movements are always he same. Do you want your opponent to decode your whole fighting style in five minutes?"

The redhead stuffed her hands in her pockets and trailed off back into the forest. A scowl was practically printed on her face as she hears the snake coach the duck.

_Freaking bitch ass snake… Why the hell do you think we failed anyway? That's cause you just left us and focused on Kimimaro! _Once in the forest, she kicked a shrub, yelling out, "Oh yeah! I don't freaking need you! I'll just train myself!"

However, it wasn't that easy. Luckily, the kunoichi was smart enough to realize what she said before she ended killing herself.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into…?" She mumbled, sitting under a tree. _Come on you freaking bitch! Since when do you give up! Then again, since when did I even consider controlling my temper…?_ Giving out a deep sigh, she rested on a tree, sunk to the ground and looked up into the endless mass of green to clear her head. _Ok all emotions, anger, aside… I can't wait for tha-… Orochimaru. I've got to go my own extra mile. _She broke a twig from a nearby bush and cleared the ground in front of her. _Ok… My combat style… Main points… I've got good chakra control… Jutsu… _She wrote on the ground as she thought. _Since my last jutsu profile failed, I should broaden it, so 'learn ninjutsu'. _She updated her list. _Taijutsu needs work… Aspects of Taijutsu… Strength, speed, technique… All of mine need work… _She bashed her head with her palm as she tried to bang start her melee's mind. Turned up a blank.

"Shit…" She cursed as her head hit the tree behind her. Suddenly, one plus on made two as a spot appeared on the blank page. "Yatta! I got it! I just have to look at why I almost got my ass handed to me by…" She scowled. _Shit… I almost got my ass handed to me… _Slapping herself out of it, she let her excitement get control. _Right… I wasn't fast enough to keep up. OK, main focus for now, speed and reaction time!_

The redhead almost bubbled in excitement, for more reasons than one. Yeah, she was bettering herself but this was also the first time in a long time in which she's been excited about herself. Not Orochimaru, not a mission, not how she can better serve him either. Just herself, for herself. She was finally beginning to end that chapter in her life.

Her head began to recall her few lessons on the body and all those hours she watched Kimimaro being trained. "Right, speed training includes leg exercises… Great, days of not wanting to get up… But reaction time is trickier…" She looked around, trying to get some idea for training. _I doubt Orochimaru would tell me what to do to get faster… Maybe I should ask that hentai Kabuto…_

Sighing, she got up, walking a little distance away from the tree. "I hate my life…" She scowled as she began doing squats.

* * *

Sasuke was almost dead. Figuratively of course. Orochimaru had pushed him to his former limit, and then completely smashed that barrier by pushing him further. His body hurt and ached like never before, almost rivalling the fight in the Valley of the End. Only thing which place it below was the lack of blood loss. He laid on the grass, breathing hard and sweat like a second layer of skin to him.

"It seems like today's training has come to an end." The snake smirked. _Maybe those buffoons brining him late was a blessing. In this rate, I can mould him into the perfect host… Kukukukuku, just the thought sends shivers down my spine._ The man turned, beginning to walk to the doors. "Let's go Sasuke-kun. Here is not the best place to rest."

Slowly, the avenger began to rise. Every move brought pain to his senses, but he still managed to move. The two made their way to the doors, however, once there, the boy's legs stopped working.

"Why are you stopping?" The man hissed. He didn't think that he could get more training from him, did he? His eyes widened as he saw the boy looking back into the woods. "Tch, that damned girl…" He mumbled. "Child! Get out here!"

No reply came, but for some reason, Sasuke still didn't move. He himself wasn't sure why. He just felt like he shouldn't go.

After a minute or so, the bushes rustled softly. Red bobbed up and down, as Tayuya slowly limped from the bushes. Her hair wasn't the only red on her as her while body emerged. Bruises covered her face and arms, and her legs looked more than overused.

"Hurry it up." The snake hissed at her as she slowly made her way.

When she reached up to them, finally, they set off, but Orochimaru quickly sped ahead.

"…What were you doing?" The words left his mouth before he even knew it.

She weakly smirked. "Wouldn't you… like to know…"

The boy's eyebrow rose as he examined her body. His eyes rested on each of her bruises a little longer than the rest of her. "You know…" He collected his breath. "Orochimaru will not let Kabuto heal you."

Her smirk remained. "I'm not a freaking butterfly. If I'm not bitching now, by tomorrow I'll be good as new."

All the boy could do was stare. Not only was she pushing herself to her own limits, but she wasn't even complaining. She just trained. She didn't care what he did, she didn't care how much he hurt. All she did was exhibit her strength and independence. And the more she did, the more interested Sasuke became.

* * *

The two opted to skip dinner that night. After all, neither was sure that they could make it to the mess hall in one piece. Once they reached inside the room, the two simultaneously flopped onto the beds, finally giving some comfort to their hurting bodies. Five seconds didn't have to pass before both teens' grips on reality faded to black.

…

…

…

"Uhhh…" Slowly crawled out of the redhead's lips. "What the --?" Her words stopped right in their tracks.

A sensation washed, no, crashed over her body, immediately making her wish that she was still as arrogant as before. Her eyes slowly strolled down her body, to see her knees red and slightly swollen. Without even trying to move them, pain pulsed through her legs, making the slight pain in her arms and face vanish. Cringing at the feeling, she threw the covers over her body and tried to get comfortable again.

"…"

Sighing, her head turned, to see the Uchiha sitting on his bed, looking at her.

"…Shut up…"

"…"

"…I said, shut up…"

Slowly, the boy rose from the bed. At first, he wobbled a bit, before gaining his balance. He stared at her for a few seconds before beginning to walk out of the room. As soon as he reached the door,

"Stop…"

He turned to see the redhead forcing herself onto her feet.

"Give me ten, I'm coming…"

"Eight." He inwardly smirked as he answered. He hoped that she would ask for time to bathe. His body was already getting to hurt to discomfort.

* * *

"Shit…" A voice said, hints of anger evident in it. "Why the hell did I even fall for that?"

The two walked down the semi-busy streets of the base. Bandages covered both of their visible limbs, and there were also patches on Tayuya's face. It seemed that Kabuto couldn't stop his inner doctor from working when he walked passed the two in the corridor. He also paid extra attention to the redhead, who when she inquired why, simply responded that she just seemed to have interesting injuries.

The wind that day was cooler than usual, sending a slight shiver down the girl's bandaged arms. It gave a more sober mood to the day, considering the insanity the girl was putting herself through the day before. Even though, she gave a small slime as she looked through the small hole in the trees to the morning blue sky. And although it was completely out of character for her, she still did it anyway. After all, she was proud of herself. She actually started her hellish training, something she never thought she would have done in her life. Her past experiences made her arrogant, and she was finally getting out of it. Though, one thought still plagued her mind…

"Ohayou! So you finally show up!"

An arm suddenly found its way around the girl's arm, pulling it to the side. Unfortunately, the bandages on her arms weren't for show.

**Bam!**

"IIIIEEEEEE!"

"What the hell is wrong with you! Are you trying to kill me you freaking asshole!" The girl yelled, ignoring the pain going through her fists at the moment.

In front of her, brown hair was clutched my two hands as the person crouched. "What are you talking about! I didn't know hugs killed!"

Sighing, the redhead dropped her fist and turned to her side. "Yo, duck, this…" She blinked blankly as she saw, or rather didn't see anyone on her other side. "What the…?"

"Hey sweet thang…" Made the girl's head snap in front. She sweatdropped as she saw a group of girls dragging the boy off to the mess hall, each one either trying to woo him with their looks or some kind of clichéd line. The most distinct feature of the mob was the completely and utterly bored look on the boy's face.

At first, she felt sorry for him. He looked so hopeless… Then, she laughed. "Looks like the duck doesn't want so much attention now!" But, her laughter stopped as something began feeling wrong.

What was… this other feeling? It felt so… weird. She'd long tossed all other emotions except anger and the happiness which came after crushing what caused the anger, so anything else felt so foreign. It stopped her laughter, and she found herself looking more and more at the girls carrying the boy away. It almost reached the point where her looks turned to glares, or maybe she really was glaring…

"What's… this… feeling…?" She muttered, raising her hand to her chest.

"Aww… I didn't know Tayuya-chan gets jealous." Akhito smirked. "You look kinda cute like that."

The kunoichi's face lit up as the words replayed in her head. _Jealous…_ _Cute!_ "Hey!" She yelled, her face still red. "I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous? What's there to be jealous about? Who would **want** to be jealous of them! I don't even have the ability to get jealous!"

"Aww… Tayuya-chan sure looks cute when she's jealous…" He smiled widely.

The girl just stared at the smile, causing her face to turn into a deeper red. "Arrrgg! I'm not… jealous…"

* * *

For the rest of the day, that was the only thing on her mind. Jealous… Jealous… Jealous…? Was she jealous, or what Akhito just messing with her? She wasn't really in touch with her emotions, so what if she was just in physical pain not jealous? All these questions swarmed around her and the fact the Orochimaru paid little to no attention to her didn't help to snap her out of her daze. Luckily, she wasn't that short willed.

The sound of crackling lightning was almost nature in that training ground. It lacked the trees of the other, but made up for it in rocks and grass instead. On top of one of those rocks was the redhead as she looked down on the two other occupants of the training grounds.

"My Tayuya-san, you're quite unfocused today." Suddenly snapped her out of her daze.

"Huh!" The girl's control vanished for a second as she the voice of Kabuto startled her. "What are you doing here!"

"Just checking. I wanted to see how your body was feeling." He answered as if talking about her bed or something, not her. "By the way, fire does not heal."

"What are you…?" She stopped as her hand began feeling hot. She looked down to see the lantern completely on fire, almost reaching where her hand was. Panicking, she tossed it between to rocks without even looking. "…I see…"

"Isn't that a bit elementary for someone like you?" The silver haired man asked, casting a glance at the destroyed lantern. "Someone with your above level chakra control should be further by now. Your chakra has the potential, anyway."

"Are you complementing me or my body?" She cut in, eyeing him harshly. "Hentai."

"I have no idea of what you're talking about." He pushed up the glasses on his face. "But on that note I'll leave. It's obvious your bandages are alright."

"Hn." The girl snared, still untrusting of the man. Deciding to take his word on it, she began to swallow her pride.

A growl came from the girl. "Get out of here girl. I've already given you something to work on. You're getting in the way."

"Let's say I '_lost_' the lantern. Isn't there anything more advanced you can teach me? Maybe an actual _Katon Jutsu_?"

"Someone of your level cannot possibly how to use an actual elemental jutsu yet." He deadpanned.

A growl slowly began to fight its way up the girl's throat and her fist clenched tightly. This caught the Uchiha's attention. _Calm down… Don't lose your cool… If you do, he won't teach you anything._ "Ok, how about fundamentals about fire chakra?"

"No. Now get out of our way." The snake shot her down once again.

This shot her anger one notch higher, and thanks to her past that was already three notches higher than her limit. _I freaking __**hate**__ kissing this much ass!_ "I'm not asking for a whole day! Just a little time…"

Sasuke's lightning stopped flowing as he watched on. Was this the same girl? The same defiant girl who cursed more than he'd ever heard? Was she actually going to go that low? Then again, was he really one to talk?

"You're not even worth me looking at you right now!" The former sannin snarled at her. "At your level --!"

"What the hell do you freaking know!" She cut in, anger boiling over. "You've never even freaking trained me for five seconds! You don't know anything about me, you freaking bitchy paedophile snake's ass!"

"You insolent brat!"

_Oh shit… There I went again…_ Her head finally caught up. Suddenly, her body did too. A feeling sent chills down her spine, almost freezing her in place. Her body began to shiver, shaking like never before as the feeling intensified.

Bloodlust.

"… Leave…"

Still in shock by the feeling, she just stood there, unable to move.

"I said…" Chakra began to get infused with the bloodlust, sending more butterflies in the girl's stomach. "Leave." He glared directly into the girl's eyes.

The girl's anger broke into a million pieces at their eyes met. All other emotions except one vanished, all reasoning, all thoughts gone, but one. Fear.

_**Run…**_

_**Run…**_

_**Run!**_

Her instincts yelled at her to get out, lest she die on the spot. Even though deep down, somewhere inside it was the fate she wanted, something just didn't allow her to die now. At first, it started by slightly inching way, but by the time he glared at her, she was off running. Despite the pain from the training the day before, she continued to run, feeling the daggers flying at her back.

"And do not show your face in front of me again."

**

* * *

Sorry for the wait, I lost this and had to retype it. Any feedback is appreciated.**


	5. Sweet dream or Nightmare?

**This chapter's a little different from the others. How? Read and find out.**

**Oh, yeah. There's a little... scene in this chapter. I don't think its too deep, but this is a little warning. It's not like anything I've done before.  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 5: Sweet dream or Nightmare?**

The rest of the training became completely unimportant. From the moment she came down, he already knew something was up. In the end, though she got a nine for the jump, she only got a two for the landing. The fact that she was prepared to go for bust intrigued him, though it did end for bust.

His usual lust for power and information disappeared completely, to the annoyance of both him and Orochimaru. None the less, neither of them stopped the training, convinced hat the lack of zeal could be overcome by sheer force.

They were wrong.

His mind was no where near his body and far too many times, the lightning faded thanks to one too many stray thoughts. Eventually, the training ended, no thanks to the stubbornness of the two.

Without giving a second thought, Sasuke vanished once the word was given. Despite his wondering, despite not being able to do simple exercises his legs happily carried along the familiar path. Even if he would sooner die than admit it out loud, inwardly, he couldn't lie to himself that much. He was thinking about the girl, something which almost angered him.

Almost running, he skid to a stop, sliding in front of the door. Before he even opened the door, his mind was already seeing the redhead's reaction. She'd probably snort something rude or yaoi, curse the snake to hell and then maybe…

All thoughts stopped as his hands gripped the handle, reluctantly excited on the inside. He ensured his mask had no cracks, before opened the door, entering with his usual deadpan expression. This quickly turned to a scowl as both his worse fear and dream came true.

She wasn't there.

The room was completely unchanged from earlier that day, crushing all ideas he had of finding her. Sighing, he sat down on the bed, holding a hand up to his face.

_What's wrong with you…?_ He growled to himself. _You're wasting your time… __**He**__ only sees to widen the gap between us, yet I'm wasting the training away. Focus. __**Focus!**__ Your life's calling depends solely on this. Everything else comes after… _Clenching his fist, he repeated it in his head once more before heading off to the bathroom.

**

* * *

This place was sacred. Nothing could penetrate what were more night visions than dreams.****It was reserved for his life's calling and how he realized it. Aside from that, all the realm had was the cold, endless darkness, the true reflection of him. Now, the sanctity of his realm was broken. The familiar cold was replaced by the weirdest feeling to wash over his body. It seemed so… different yet a bit reminiscent. Warmth.**

"**Come on! Don't be such a freaking stick in the mud!" An anxious female voice called.**

**The boy's subconscious was beginning to sicken him. Lanterns of all colours illuminated the night. Stalls lined the way, with every gap between them leading to another row of them. The atmosphere itself just annoyed him. All around, people stood smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves. The fact that his mind was show this seemed like an insult. All those people happy without the pain he felt all seemed to mock his very existence.**

"**Hn."**

"**Ah, shit you!"**

**This was the worst. Now, his mind was **_**really**_** mocking him.**

**Red hair topped by a skullcap. This explained it all. Next to that, black hair spiking upwards with bangs. Their arms were linked together as the girl tugged him along, moving towards a stall. Her face held a swee-… happy smile and his, a soft one. Nauseating. He also noticed that her original top was replaced by a plain white t-shirt. It hugged her body, showing off her - why was he recognising this?**

**She pulled him along, though he barely seemed to be resisting. It was a simple stall. Knock over the bottles, win a prize. The girl eyed the game, before smirking.**

"**Ha! That's if you can even play this! Your aim must have gotten so crappy, that's if you can even throw a stone to hit the floor!" She taunted, laughing all the way.**

**Unhooking their arms, the Uchiha responded. "Oh yeah?" He tossed the money to the attendant. "Let's go."**

**Damn… How'd she know him so well? She played his weakness to challenges so expertly…**

**The bottles scattered as the boy stepped out of his throwing pose. He tossed one of his last two remaining balls into the air, smirking.**

"**You think you're hot, don't you." She smirked, in return as she caught the ball. "Load'em again! I'll show you how it's really done!"**

**The boy stepped back, giving her the needed room as well as allowing himself to get a better view. Of what however, is uncertain.**

**The more he watched, the more sickening this was. When would this nightmare end…?**

"**No freaking way!" Tayuya stood with her arms dropped. Two of her tries were in vain. Both spun madly, swerving away from the bottles. **

**The boy walked forward. "Need help?"**

**Now he's offering help! What happened to his self perseverance?**

"**N-No…" She said, looking away.**

"**OK." He replied. Suddenly, his arm locked itself around her waist and he picked up the last ball.**

"**What are you-?"**

**He placed the ball in her hand, placing his over hers. Pulling her close to him, he began whispering in her ear. "This isn't like what you're used to throwing. There's no distance, so it can't curl." He slowly adjusted her grip. "And throw as straight to the bottles as you can." Their arms slowly moved as the boy taught her his form. "You got that?"**

"**Uh h-huh." On her face was a little blush.**

**Wait, what's that? No, it couldn't be… There's no way… There it is again. No, its there. It's there! Was he blushing! It wasn't bold, but he noticed it. The attendant probably couldn't notice, everyone else walking wouldn't possibly be able to see it, but he was blushing. She was probably the only one to notice. And since when was he so touchy? He always distanced himself from people and all of a sudden, he sees himself pulling the girl towards him. Pulling her **_**close**_** to him.**

"**You suck!" The girl yelled, pointing at the boy. "You probably planned this, didn't you!"**

**She still missed in the end.**

"**Quit being difficult." He responded. "Be happy, you were closer this time."**

**Placing her hands behind her head, she snorted. "Yeah, right. Since when did you get so cheesy anyway?"**

"**Hn."**

"**Now that's more like it! Come on, I think I saw a shooting game lower down."**

**Before they could walk away, the attendant spoke up. "Excuse me, one of you won, so you get a prize."**

**The boy looked at the girl, before starting, "You can choose which ever one you want."**

**Smirking, she chuckled. "More of this sappy crap? A little more and I'll have to interrogate you for where the real Sasuke is."**

**"That doesn't sound too bad."  
**

**This was becoming more than sickening. This had to be a joke, some sick mockery or something. Maybe a Genjutsu? What if she's trying to mess with him, trying to blow off some steam from getting banned? But not matter how sickening, how wrong, he couldn't bring himself to stop. His attention was always focused on the two of them. Nothing else seemed worthy enough, nothing else as important. His brain saw this as the only thing which could possibly occupy his dreams that night.  
**

**Suddenly, the warmth he felt exploded into heat. He could feel his body starting to sweat as his heart rate increased.**

**The two somehow managed to find themselves in the forest. Alone. Their bodies crashed into a tree as the boy drifted closer to the girl.**

"**Wow, someone's feeling aggressive today." She grinned a slightly… **_**odd**_ **grin. "I like." Her arms slowly parked themselves around his neck.**

**Instead of talking, the boy only went closer, causing their noses to touch.**

"**Don't start anything -," She started.**

**The boy's lips rushed into hers before she could finish, and an almost visible fire lit between them. "You can't finish."**

"**Wait… Here?"**

**A nod followed, as hands slowly began to grip lower than the back.**

"**_Oooooooh_ yeah… Let's go."**

**Clothes slid off, causing him to attempt to look away. However, as usual it ended in vain.**

_**Damn it…**_

**The two began kissing roughly and the boy's hands began caressing. A moan left the girl's mouth as his hands stopped on a key area.**

_**Damn it…**_

**Slowly, their body's started moving. The nipped his as she held on tighter.**

"**Don't hold it in." He whispered in her ear. "Let me hear it…"**

"_**Ooooooh**_**…" She moaned softly. "**_**Sasuke~!**_**"**

_**Damn it.**_

**Why did her body have to look so voluptuous to him? He just couldn't pull his eyes away. Why did his mind have to show him this anyway? Couldn't he just end the dream himself? But, he just couldn't do it… He… He wanted to continue watching.**

"**Tayuya…"**

**Their bodies were moving faster now. Suddenly, all movement stopped. The two just stayed, pinned to the tree and staring at each other.**

"…**Sasuke…"**

"…**Tayuya…"**

**Their lips crashed into each other again, but this time it seemed so… different. The two kissed a lot slower, softer and sweeter. The lust seemed to disappear and was replaced by a different emotion. They savoured each moment, moving slowly and stretching out each breath as long as possible.**

**Disturbing. That's the only word he could use to describe it. If it was purely lustful desires, it wouldn't have been too bad. Even he had to admit, he wouldn't need to wait until she was the last woman on earth. He'd enjoy her long before that.**

_**Damn it…!**_

**Now he was **_**willingly**_** fantasizing about her. Great.**

**A loud moan cut through the passion.**

**The slow period was over. Their bodies sped up again, fire erupting between them. Both let out moans, clinging tighter and tighter onto each other.**

_**Damn it…!**_

**What was this… feeling? It felt so odd… Watching himself with that girl.**

_**Damn it!**_

**They were going faster now. Something was coming, he knew it. And oddly enough, he could feel it too.**

**The moans grew louder and the girl's fingernails were on the verge of digging into the Uchiha.**

"_**Sasuke~! Sasuke~!**_**" She moaned, hanging onto his neck for dear life.**

"… **I know…" He grunted, still moving as fiercely as ever. "… Me too…"**

"… _**I'm… I'm…**_**" The girl started, before a loud moan burst though her lips.**

* * *

The boy sprung up from his sleep with a shout. Sweat dripped from his body and a hand was… awkwardly placed.

Without even thinking, his head snapped to the side, looking for the curves he secretly stared at.

Flat.

Instead of hiding curves, the covers fell flat on the other bed. She didn't come back.

He scowled. No, it's better this way. _You sure?_

Yes, it is.

_100%?_

"I'm sure." He spoke out loud.

_But you'll…_

"Stop it…" He mumbled. "I've made my choice. Me being here is proof enough. There is no going back."

_Is there? _The voice became more recognizable.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "That voice… Na-!"

_There's always a way to go back. Believe it._

"Not for me." The boy responded in a dark tone. "I chose to accept the darkness, and only the gates of hell await me."

_Baka._

"…What?"

_You heard me. Baka._

"Why you -!"

_That's what you've been telling yourself for the past week or so, right? Then why are you here, staring at the other bed?_ The boy remained silent, only allowing his gaze to drift to the ground. _The right path is never gone, just hidden. But, even that has its limits._

"My brother comes first. Only after then will I be able to -,"

_Ah shut up teme. If this is how you're going, there really is no hope for you. I just have one thing to ask. How long will you continue living like this?_

"…This?"

_Yes, this. Look at you. You had family. Ok, they were killed. Even after that, you had more than enough people who wanted to be your friend. You turned all away. You shun everyone, trying to act tough and all. What are you trying to prove, huh! Who are you trying to impress!_

"I'm fulfilling my purpose!" The boy almost yelled. "This is **my** burden! My reason for living! I must do this alone! This is the Uchiha way!"

_Says you! You spend your whole life turning everyone away, looking for power! You think loneliness is everyone's fault except yours, don't you! Look at your brother! He's an S-Rank criminal! He's murdered more than I can probably count up to, and not even he's alone! He's got friends! Yeah, they may not be the best guys in the world, but at least he has the shark-guy to support him!_

"He has him because he's weak! I **will** get strong by my own power! I won't rely on anyone!"

_You won't really on anyone? You? What a joke! Just look at you now! Where are you? Why are you even there! That mark on your shoulder yours! Is that form you entered completely yours! Did you even get there by yourself! Stop lying to yourself! You're only weakening yourself!_

"I am not."

_Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Here you are, saying you need no one, you want no one, but what are you doing! For Kami-sama knows how many years, you're still living some clan's fantasy! Are you're doing is just running! That's it, running! That's all you do, run. You run from your friends, you run from your enemies, you run from reality, you're even running from yourself! _

"I am not." The boy said more sternly this time.

_Face it. You're living a lie. You're wasting your life, you're wasting your soul. All you're doing is bringing yourself down to hell, living some lie._

"I am not!" The stood up, rage flowing through him. Unfortunately, there was no one there. He just stood in the empty room, upset with himself.

_You see this feeling. Yes, the one you feel right now. Who are you mad at? Me? No. Your brother? As much as you wish, no. It's not him. Orochimaru? No, but a little closer. That's right. You're mad at you. YOU. You're sickening even yourself. So, remember this feeling. Never forget it. Because, if you continue on the course you are on, you'll be feeling this way again in no time._

His anger escalated. He burst through the bathroom doors, almost breaking the glass of the shower as he entered. He couldn't be bothered to move his clothes, before unleashing the water on himself. The blazing hot water shot at his body, stinging at first. All he did was stand in it, fists balled, threatening to pierce his own palms.

"AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGG!" He yelled in anger. His legs weakened, and his wet clothes suddenly began to weigh him down. On his knees, he went even further down, resting on his elbows as his hands held the sides of his face.

He just stayed there, the hot water beating through his clothes, soaking his whole body.

"…"

Silence reigned, the boy not even moving out of his clothes. All he could feel was pain. Pain in his heart, pain in his body, and the new pain in his mind. What was he doing? Was this really right? Was he honestly living a lie? No, if then… No, he was an avenger. But, why? Just for his clan? He **was** his clan, so was he really doing what's best? His hands gripped tighter, his mind almost ready to start bleeding. Why was this happening to him? All of a sudden? All his life, he thought he was following his mind, following his heart. Was he? What was he really doing?

He just stayed, hot water bolting his back, mind tearing in all directions.

* * *

The cool morning air had no effect on him. The clustering groups of people who littered the streets were no existent. Only one thing could be seen by him.

Red.

He couldn't hear the cooing fanwomen as he walked by them. The occasional greeting never reached his ears as he prowled the streets. Today, he only lived for one thing. To find the cause of his distress. Before this, disturbance, he was sure of himself, his dreams were normal, his focus clear. But since that first day when they were at each other's throats, it wasn't the same. All he knew what that she was the cause of something within him. Whether it was good or bad, depended on what he did after he found her.

…

"…-chan!"

His eyes widened. The fact that he heard the honorific meant that only one thing could before it. Tayuya. He swung around, instantly searching the crowd for red. Instead, he saw that worst thing.

That damned boy. With the brown hair. He never was fond of him. Since the first time he happened to see him and the girl walking about after training, just the sight of him would cause anger. The fact that he was also doing the same thing made him want to walk over and beat the boy to a pulp. But, that could wait.

"Sasuke-san!" His shoulder was suddenly grabbed. The glare was already being sent before he turned around. "Have you seen Tayuya-chan?"

_Even if I knew I still wouldn't tell you._ "No."

The boy's expressions dropped. "Uh oh… This could be bad… What if she made a break for it…?" He turned and continued his search.

_Make a break for it…! She wouldn't… _No, if she ran, there was no telling if he would be able to see her again. His mind began working quickly. Quite annoying that when ever she was concerned it would work without question. If she wanted to run, she couldn't just go. They'd catch her. So, she'd have to go around the guards, probably to somewhere where she could rest and recover her chakra. _So, there's only one place she could be._

* * *

He leapt through the trees at break-neck speed. Luck happened to be on his side, since he barely managed to dodge the last guard. He was careless, but he could have probably taken him if he saw him anyway.

Once he was near the clearing, he leapt down, walking the little distance left. His lips slightly curled up as he finally saw a head of red, lying flat on the floor.

The body stirred, as the girl's head slowly rose. He held his breath, waiting to see if she would come or go.

Her head looked forward, towards the great unknown. She remained like that for a couple seconds, and the boy already seemed to grasp her train of thought.

She wanted to go.

The feeling almost radiated off her. Nothing more would please her. If she died immediately, she wouldn't care. As long as she left.

Her body tensed. He could see her hand slowly move, followed by her elbow. His eyes widened, and he stepped forward. If he couldn't make her stay… He'd make her stay.

However, the opposite happened.

Her hand just dropped. A weak growl came from the girl. "… Damn… Damn it…!" The boy came closer. "What's wrong with me…? What the hell is wrong with me? It's just there… I can practically see it… Why can't I do it?"

_Why does this feel so familiar?_ Sasuke thought, staring at the girl.

She gripped the grass, pulling some out. "Why…? Why am I…?"

"So weak." The boy said along with her.

She twitched, showing a little surprise, but she didn't tense at all. Chuckling weakly, she didn't even turn her head to see him. "So, he actually sent someone for me? You're just going to kill me aren't you?"

"… No…"

"Save me the trouble… Do it." To this, the boy remained silent. "In fact, what's the point? My life has lost all meaning, and how I lived doesn't even grant me the grace of a swift death. Just… go. A worthless weakling like me won't go anywhere… I'll just stay here… Until I die or hunger or one of the wild animals find me."

The boy only looked on. This was just like him. After his family was killed, he just lived. Nothing seemed to matter. If he died, he would have considered it a favour. That was until… Inside, the Uchiha was… moved. So that was why he was going in all directions. It was because… he saw some of himself.

"… We…" He started.

"…Hm…?"

"… We have the same eyes."

The girl's eyes opened, but quickly returned to normal. "Oh, that's it…" She gave a sad chuckle. "If that's what you're after, go ahead. I don't care anymore. Besides, I hear it starts to feel good after the initial pain."

Sasuke's face slightly lit up at the comment. _It just had to be a sex joke… Why couldn't she just curse me like usual…_ He decided to leave his mask in the grass and stepped closer. "That's… not what I meant. Your eyes are like mine. They have the same look in them. They both long for more."

Her head slowly moved to the right, allowing on of her eyes to look at the boy. It was red. "What the hell do you think you know about me?"

"You want more than this… You've always wanted more." The girl continued to look. "But, you've been at least contempt before."

"Yes…" The girl slowly rose, despite her being completely unable to do so a few minutes. "You're completely right… Just tell me…" She spun around, fists balling before the Uchiha could even notice. "Since the hell when did you know everything about me!"

The boy stepped forward. "So just tell me… Am I wrong?"

The girl froze. _Damn it…_ Her gaze drifted to the ground.

"You think your life has lost all meaning?"

"… Shut up…"

"You think that it's best that you just die."

"Shut up."

"You -."

"I said shut up!" The girl burst out, lunging at the boy. They bodies fell to the ground, but that wasn't the end. The girl's fists were clenched, and they rushed towards the boy's chest.

He didn't retaliate. All he did was just watch. _Her eyes... all they show is..._

She punched mercilessly, but something was missing. Each punch grew softer and softer, until they barely classified as punches.

"This is all your fault! I hate your freaking guts! Hate them!" The Uchiha remained silent. "Why the did you have to show up! Why did that freaking snake have to want you so much! Why -!"

"Do you hate yourself so much…?" The boy cut in, accidentally. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but he wasn't in touch with his body recently.

The redhead looked at him, before giving a sadistic laugh. "Yes that's right. You're his little Junior. Follow in his footsteps. Taunt and torment people just like him. After all, the only thing better than beating a dog is kicking it while its down."

Inwardly, the boy growled. Why was she being so difficult? And… why did she remind him so much of himself? Was he really like that? Had his 'self imposed' loneliness driven him that mad? He considered ever happy person, every laugh with family members a kick in the face, but seeing someone else do the same...

"This is the second time… The second _freaking_ time…!" She muttered, anger painting her breath.

"For what?" Sasuke asked, without thinking.

"**Shine**." She spat. (A/N I mean the Japanese. Shi-ne. This translates to 'Go die' or something in the sort.)

The Uchiha couldn't help by sigh. Did she really need to be so difficult? "When I was younger, my family – no, entire clan was killed singlehhandedly." He began. "It was all done by my brother, who chose to leave me alive. After that, for days I just lived. Nothing mattered, nothing made any difference to me. That was…"

"Until this shithead and her team came for you?" She scowled, now looking directly into the boy's eyes.

"No. I found out my…" The words stopped in his brain. _Why am I hesitating? I know what I am. I'm… an… an… _"Clan's legacy. I was to kill my brother and avenger the clan." He couldn't do it… Why?

"Asshole." The girl spat again.

This time, the growl was audible. "What did you say…?"

"Ass. Hole." She retorted. "You heard me."

"What makes you so qualified to -!"

"It won't end well." She cut in, averting her gaze. "Trust me." She clenched her fists, pulling on his shirt. "In my passed life, I had a family. A happy family. One day, that happiness crashed. A local gang got bored, and thought it would be fun to have a little power, so they tried to take control of the village. My family resisted… They didn't last long…" She paused, clenching her fists tighter. "They… They left me alive… because they thought I'd make a good playmate when I got older… Until then, I lived on the streets. No one cared for me, no one even looked at me. In fact, I wouldn't even call it living. I was just existing, taking up space, a body without purpose."

"And then he found you." Sasuke said.

"He told me he could use me, he made me feel needed, he gave my life purpose… Plus… He offered me the most important thing to me at the time. Revenge."

The boy's eyes widened. _Revenge…_

"It was the only thing on my mind. I didn't think about anything else, not even myself. The fact that he promised me the power to get only made me more eager to seal the deal."

"You got your power." The Uchiha continued. He looked passed his unusual interest and pressed further. "Then what?"

"What do you expect? I got revenge." She answered simply. "After a few months with him, we returned and I killed every last member of the gang. Every one, every dealer, every child, every woman. Once you were involved, you were my target. I literally removed the entire gang from existence. Afterwards I burned everything else the owned to the ground." The girl stayed silent for a few seconds, before continuing. "I was greeted with the wrong kind of reception. The villagers hated me, calling me a monster and demon. It turned out that the gang had been purged before me, but there were a few bad eggs still at the top. I killed the good guys, I killed the true heroes. Since then, I gave my life to Orochimaru, seeing hell as the only place left for me."

The boy couldn't talk. His mind raced in all directions. He was always told not to follow revenge, but would he end up worse than this?

"Since then, I grew a temper. I blamed everyone else for any and everything. I grew to hate my hometown, I grew to hate everything." She finished, almost tearing apart the boy's shirt.

"… You've been used…"

"What?"

"Orochimaru's no fool. He knew what would happen when you went for revenge, he probably watched the town, followed the gangs movements." The boy was almost vexed himself. "That's how he is. He follows everything about anything he wants, and has no problem destroying lives that are in his way."

This time, the holes were actually torn. The girl's teeth grinded as she pierced holes in the cloth in her hands. "…" She stayed silent, slowly raising off Sasuke and standing up. Her hair fell over her face, blocking all expression. "So you're telling me… You think that freaking snake took me off the streets, gave my life purpose, let me kill all those people, turned into the most hated person from my village, turned me into a killing tool, just to use me to get you here?"

"… Hn…"

"OK, it's settled." The girl started calmly. "I'm making sure, that even if I die doing it, I'm making sure that Orochimaru knows how much of a piece of shit he is!" Her expressions burned through, showing a fire burning through her eyes.

Smirking, the boy's head shook. "Didn't you tell me not to pursue revenge?"

"Shut up." She growled. "He's getting what coming to him!"

"You just have to be difficult…"

"I said shut up! Try to act in character, will you!" She retorted. "Why don't you just do like before and not talk to me?"

**

* * *

Here ends the chapter. It came out a bit longer than I expected.  
**


	6. Resolve

**Thanks for your feedback and sorry for the long wait. My laptop has been singing the melancholy of crap. It goes off whenever it feels like, which makes it a real drag typing for long time. Even the hard drive gave me a little scare and I was worried for a couple of days that I would be left without a computer or my progress. But, as you can see, I have and will prevail.**

**Oh yeah, after being told by someone that my summary wasn't within the rules of fanfiction, I edited it a little. But, after doing it, I felt it lost its charm to I just did a completely new one. **

**

* * *

Chapter 6: Resolve

* * *

**

The usually cold morning air felt a little warmer this time around, as the two entered the base. All the while, they remained in silence, but a good silence. Not the deafening, chilling silence each grew used to over the years. This one was a lot less painful, a lot less troubling… actually… pleasant for the two of them. Of course, it would stay in the back of their heads.

Slipping into the crowd of slowly bustling inhabitants, the two walked towards the mess hall like any other day. The boy's hands were shoved into his pockets, keeping his usual cool demeanour. Next to him, the girl had her hands behind her head.

"Oh yeah, about earlier…" She let her voice trail off. "Erase it. Got that?" Her normal stern, rough voice came out, destroying all thought of her earlier self.

Keeping his eyes forward, the Uchiha responded, "Likewise."

"Good."

"…Hn…"

And also, as on any normal day…

"Tayuya-chan!"

**Bam!**

The girl suddenly found herself on the ground with a head of brown buried in her chest. This odd sensation filled her waist and a foreign warmth slowly seeped into her.

"Tayuya-chan~!" The boy wailed as his arms tightened around the redhead.

"What the -!" Anger was quickly beginning it flow through her viens. She then looked down. "Bah… Akhito…"

His head slowly rose, showing tears streaming down his face. "Tayuya-chan~! Don't scare me like that again! I was so afraid that I'd never see your cute face again!" He pushed his head down again, the wails still continuing.

_C-Cute?_ Pushing the blush down, the kunoichi snorted. "Like hell, I'm not going anywhere! I haven't caused enough trouble damage here to bolt yet!"

Once more, teary eyes met hers as the boy looked up at her.

"Besides," She continued, turning her head to look away. "I wouldn't just ditch you like that. So… don't worry next time."

For a moment, no one said anything. The only sound coming from the group was Akhito's sniffing. That was until, "Tayuya-chan~!" He wailed, tears breaking out again as he pulled them even closer together and he sunk his face deeper.

She almost glared at the boy as he wailed. AS he wailed with his head inbetween... "Gah! What the hell do you think you're doing?" The girl finally yelled, realizing where his face was.

Sniffing, the boy replied innocently, "Hugging you."

"H-Hugging!" The girl rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like this." He smiled as he squeezed tighter.

The girl almost glared at the boy on her chest. "Hey! Quit it! You're making it hard to breathe!" Her eyebrow twitched as she noticed something. "And quit spewing snot all over me! Geez, what are you, a freaking five year old!"

"Tayuya-chan~!"

* * *

"Did you really need to do that?" Akhito asked, rubbing the large bump on his head. Well, one of the large bumps…

"Just be happy I stopped there." The redhead growled, rubbing her own fists as she walked next to him. "Sheesh, since when did you turn into my tail? I don't even remember you too well before that damned mission anyway!"

"True, I wasn't too fond of you before. All you used to do was attack people and curse a lot. You were extremely rude, way too loud, a bit of a pig when eating, did I mention aggressive already?" He began to trail off until the girl rose her fist again, keeping him on track. "But, after seeing you unconscious under a pile of logs, I figured someone as cute as you couldn't be too bad."

Blush quickly rose to the girl's cheeks. _I wish he'd quit saying that! I'm… not used to getting told these kinds of things yet…_

"Plus, your aura is different."

"Aura? Yeah, right. Next you're doing to pull a rabbit out from your pants or something." The kunoichi replied in disbelief.

Shrugging, the boy continued talking. "I don't know how, but the air around you is different. I'm not sure how to explain it, but once you feel it around someone else you'll understand."

The other two looked at him, seemingly letting the message given by the boy sink in.

"Pff, yeah right." The redhead shot him down, not convinced even in the slightest. She slugged his arm as she spoke.

Afterwards the trio seemed to slip into the crowd, dropping into silence. The crowds however were almost the opposite. More and more people where pouring out of the numerous alleyways which stemmed from the main streets. Stall vendors were also beginning to wake up, opening their roadside shops and wasting no time in trying to get their goods sold. In the midst of this, the avenger quickly made a turn, looking to disappear into one of the alleyways.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" An arm suddenly grabbed his, pulling him back onto the main street.

"… Hn…" He grunted in return.

"I don't care if you'll die if you don't get some of that freaking snake up your ass soon, you're freaking eating your breakfast." Tayuya almost scolded the boy, dragging him face forward.

The grunt quickly turned into a glare, as Sasuke's head turned to meet hers. She gladly returned the favour, throwing a glare of her own, trying to outdo the Uchiha. She stepped forward, hands on her hips and glare shooting from her eyes. Both their feet were planted firmly, each one refusing to give in to the other. Even the glares were seemed to be having their own battle. A tension filled the air around them as each one fought for dominance, trying to go harder and stronger than the other. He too was facing her by now, hands in pockets and no signs of giving in showed.

The glaring contest lasted for what felt like hours. The two just stood, glaring daggers at the other one.

"… Hn…" The Uchiha grunted, turning his head to his side. The kunoichi smirked victoriously as the boy broke eye contact, and she marched proudly onto the mess hall.

"Now hurry the hell up! I'm feeling a bit more hungry than usual."

* * *

After breakfast, the trio was again on the streets. From since they left the mess hall, and even for a few moments during breakfast, the kunoichi dwelled in her thoughts. Her mind was swimming with ideas and thoughts.

Her words early were not just hot air. She was going to get stronger, and she was going to get… to teach that snake what happens when he screws with people's lives. The thought felt… odd. The person who she once considered her saviour, the person who gave her the little she actually had was now her worst enemy. To make it worse, she wasn't living in the area, she wasn't even a spy with connections one of the ninja villages. She sat right under his nose, still believed to be a loyal follower. Or rather, a follower feared into loyalty. Now, she had to get strong, do something big and then defect. Of course, this couldn't be done on the fly or rashly. Some kind of plan, even a vague one, needed to be formed.

Her mind flowed quickly, something she was quite proud of. Though she was outwitted by the pineapple head, she wasn't anything near dull. She was capable of coming with good strategies and noticing things about opponents which others seemed to take too long to. The only problem was her anger. She would often get hot-blooded during fights, and most of her smarts went down the drain.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she felt a hand tugged her along. As she came back to reality, she saw onyx eyes staring at her from raven coloured bangs. Slowly afterwards, the surroundings began to fill in. He stood in front of an alleyway, one of the more familiar ones.

"No." She responded firmly, staring directly into his eyes. He looked on for a few moments, not convinced. "No, I'm not being difficult. I'm not going back there. Not yet away."

Giving a slight nod, the boy let go of her arm, and disappeared down the alleyway. The girl stared at his back as he disappeared, one thought running though her head. Was she making the right choice? It was the path of no return, and no forgiveness either. Once thoughts or talk of rebellion started, only two ends could occur. Success and freedom or failure and death.

_No… No._ She assured herself. It needed to be done. And she needed to be the one to do it.

"Wow, you and Sasuke sure are getting along better." A voice snapped her out of her thoughts once more.

Blinking, she saw the brown haired with a small smirk on his face. She quickly felt her cheeks warm as she pieced together the true meaning behind the boy's statement. "What! Get real you damn mophead!"

His smirk widened to a small smile. "Aw come on, you don't have to deny it."

She could feel her cheeks warm even more. She shook her head wildly, trying desperately to hide her blush underneath her red hair. "It's nothing!"

"It sure was cute the way you were eating out of his plate." The boy continued talking, completely ignoring the girl's denial.

"I wasn't eating from his plate!" She yelled, still trying to convince the boy.

"Well, when you push your fork in someone else's plate and eat their food, there's not much left to think is there?" He responded casually.

"I wasn't eating from his plate!" Suddenly, her mind drew a blank. All the time before, she was lost in her swirling and rushing thoughts but her mind was now blank. She almost had to restart it before coming up with something to say. "It's called 'stealing from his plate'."

The smile never moved from the boy's face as he nodded, obviously not buying it but not pushing any further. "And you two are getting to know each other better." Or so it seemed. "He didn't even have to speak and you knew what he was saying. Before, you would have yelled at him to speak."

Once again, her brain stopped but it was different than the last time. Was she really beginning to understand the Uchiha? Yeah, all she did was know what he was going to say, but was it really more? Were they beginning to… She shook her head once more at the thoughts. No, it was nothing. Akhito was just playing with her. Yes, that was it. He was playing with her, seeing the kind of reaction she'd give.

"It was commonsense." She answered finally. "He was standing in front of the entrance to Orochimaru's training area, so of course he was telling me to get to training." The girl explained, not hesitating anymore. Her expression was serious, the blush that previously covered her face disappearing as she continued. "But I'm not the kind to run back with my tail between my legs. The snake made it damn obvious that I wasn't wanted, so I'll make it without him." Her serious expression slowly melted into a smirk. "And you're gonna help me."

Akhito grinned in response, eager to help. "Sure."

"Ok, now there are a couple things I need you to do." She knew he wouldn't say no, and even if he did she would just beat him into saying 'yes' so she already thought out a minor role for him. "Get the sharpest kunai and slimmest senbon you can find. I'll get the wood on my own."

"Wood for what?" The boy asked, eyebrow risen at the small list of items.

"I'm making a flute." She stated in monotone.

The boy's reaction was completely opposite. His arms flew up as he yelled, "What kind of demon flute are you making! Kunai and senbon inside!"

**Bam!**

A fist rammed into the boy's head. "You jackass! I'm going to use those **make** the flute, not put them inside!"

Rubbing his head, the boy nodded in understanding. "But, why don't you just buy one from the music vendor? I think I saw one last time I was there." This earned him a glare from the girl.

"I don't want a freaking toy! I'm going to be using it in a fight you know, not to sit around and play my happy time song!" She yelled at him, almost angry the he even bothered bringing it up. Suddenly, something clicked. "Wait, get it for me."

"Really?" The boy's eyebrow rose at the girl's sudden change of mind.

"Yeah, I could use it to help me make it better. I still got my old one, but…" Her mind went to the piece of flute which remained. Valves falling out, scratches littering it more than leaves in a forest, caved in wholes and who knows what else was wrong. "It's gone to hell."

The boy moved a little awkwardly, scratching behind his head. "Well… I can't really get it… You see…"

Cutting him off, the redhead ordered. "Just steal it."

"St-steal it!" The boy stuttered in astonishment. "I can't do that!"

The girl snorted in response. "Sure you can. Just do a Bushin and make it talk to him, then sneak in the other way and swipe it. Easy."

The boy shook his head at the explanation. "That's not what I meant! I mean, stealing is wrong! I know the store owner isn't the world's most friendly guy, but I don't think he deserves it!"

A glare shot from the girl's eyes as she listened to his excuse. What world did that boy come from? "Oh yeah, sure. You're right." Her voice laced with sarcasm. "After all, we're in the city of good and righteous people." She gave a fake smile for a couple moments, before grabbing onto the boy's arms and shaking him madly. "Just freaking steal it you damn mophead!"

"Whaa!" The boy wailed as the girl shook him. "Tayuya-chan! You can't encourage this! You're being bad company!"

* * *

After slipping out of the base, something which really made the girl wonder about their actual defence capabilities, she returned to the 'private' training grounds. Once there, she stopped at the base of the centre tree. Staring up the massive tree's trunk, the girl's eyes examined the tree, eyeing each branch, every twig, looking for **just** the right one. It couldn't be too big, or crooked. Too thick and it'll be near impossible to cut, too crooked and it'll end up being hell to carve.

Her eyes widened a bit and a smirk spread across the kunoichi's face as a good enough branch appeared. The only obstacle was climbing the tree. The branch was no where near low, but for a shinobi like Tayuya, it was more a slight inconvenience. Chakra spiralled in her feet almost on instinct and she confidently placed a foot on the tree, before beginning to walk up. It didn't take long to reach the branch, and once there she pulled herself over, only to see a wall of leaves separating her from the part of the branch she wanted. The girl blocked her eyes as she inched through the trees.

Clear, crystal blue skies allowed the wonderful sunlight to warm the earth. A sea of deep, lush green stretched out far, with one or two gaps in it. A slow breeze blew through the area, the sea of green flowing majestically with it.

Her red hair blowing in the wind, the girl gazed at the sight. It just seemed so… It was like… "Whoa…" was the only way her mind could sum it up. The sight was overwhelming to her. It felt like she could just sit and watch forever, marvelling at the beauty, something which she would have never even considered a few weeks ago.

Prying her eyes from the scenery, she moved further out along the branch to a good enough distance. Taking a few breaths, she formed a Tiger handsign.

_Fire… Fire… _Slowly, chakra began to flow to her hands. Her hands parted, as she slowly placed them in front of her on the branch. Smoke slowly began to rise, as her hands sank into the branch. A smirk came across the girl's face as she burned her way through the branch. "Well what'd you know, it's actually working. This elemental chakra is something else." Suddenly, the amount of smoke increased, turning from a steady trickle to an open tap. The girl's smirk melted away into a more focused expression. _Gah, damn elemental chakra. Come on, focus… Focus…_ She closed her eyes, trying to keep her focus on her chakra, and not the scenery. She could feel the chakra lessening, her flames dying down.

The work was slow and rather dull, but it was needed. She had gone too long away from her first love and a little work would be the last thing to stop her.

The branch cracked loudly as she progressed, each crack getting louder and louder until…

**Crack!**

The branch shook madly as the end began sinking. A few beads of sweat fell from the girl's face as she stopped channelling her chakra. "Finally…" She sighed in relief. "Now to get this damn branch down."

Leaning forward, the girl pushed her body weight onto the broken branch. As she pushed forward, the branch cracked deeper and louder. It didn't take too many pushes before

**CRACK!**

Snapping backwards, the girl watched as the branch finally broke off and crashed through the forest. Taking one last glance at the scenery, the girl turned, heading back down the tree.

* * *

"Waaaah!" A voice wailed, running down the street. Behind him trailed an old, rough looking man with a long scar going down the side of his face. He wore the Oto colours, long, loose grey pants and a short sleeved purple shirt.

"You damn thief! Get your ass back here now!" The old man growled as he tailed the boy. This only sent chills down the boy's spine, making him wail louder and run faster.

The boy sped down the street, looking for any nook or cranny he could squeeze into to escape the store owner. Skidding around the corner, his eyes scanned the area for a hiding place.

**Fwap!**

A hand grabbed his arm, dragging him into an alleyway. A hand immediately came and covered his mouth, before the shouts for help could escape his lips.

The man ran, head spinning in all directions as he pursued the boy. He skid to a halt in front of an alleyway, glancing down it. Two logs sat resting on one of the walls with a third one lying on the ground. Grunting, the man took off once more, still looking for his thief.

**Poof.**

"Tayuya-!" A hand covered his mouth again.

"Shh! Shut up you jackass!" The girl whispered angrily. "You want him to hear that loud wailing of yours?" The girl slowly removed her hand from the boy's face, though the irate expression on hers never left. Was this boy even a shinobi? What shinobi steals something and wails as he runs away? Of course they'll catch you!

Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulled out a long, light brown piece of wood. Holes dotted the wood in a straight pattern, leading away from the specially crafted end. "I feel so… bad…"

This earned him a glare from the kunoichi. "Do you even **know** where you are! If that makes you feel 'bad', that guy has probably done stuff that'll make you gouge your eyes out."

The boy gasped at the comment, an almost horrified look on his face.

Sighing, the girl waved her face, looking away. "…Or, he could be an innocent old man…" The boy's face lightened up a bit, making the girl sigh even deeper. _Is this really the kind of help I'm getting?_ _A jackass who doesn't even seem to know where he is? I'm seriously beginning to doubt Orochimaru… Does he let just about anyone in?_ The girl snatched the flute, quickly throwing it in her pockets. The tingling feeling overcame her fingers as she touched it and it almost pained her to put it away.

Akhito watched as she picked up her branch, struggling a little bit at first but getting the hang of it, and handed her the other two items. "Well, I guess I'll see the finished product later then."

"Eh?"

"Sorry, but I can't hang around. I have classes to go to." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Kabuto-sensei isn't a fan of tardiness."

_Kabuto-sensei? _The girl repeated the name slowly in her mind. "You're a medic ninja! _You_!"

Grinning, the boy replied. "Yep! Though, I'm not very good, but practice makes perfect."

The girl shuddered at the thought. Going to class after class with that hentai? Plus everyone knew of his sadist side, which probably meant that the class was something the common shinobi would prefer not to know about.

"Well, I catch you later then!" The boy smiled as he turned to head out into the streets. Until the girl grabbed his arm and swung him around. "Oh, right. The store owner…" He then leaped onto the roof, keeping low as he ran off.

The girl sighed as she watched him jump off. Was this _really_ her help? Was she honestly considering _him_ as a comrade? Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

* * *

"What… the… HELL!" Rang angrily through the air.

Sitting on a random roof was the redhead. In front of her was a large pile of shavings, her old flute and the dismantled form of the new one. The cool morning air was gone, replaced by slightly humid forest air. The sun beat down through the hole in the forest ceiling, adding to the heat on the upper levels in the base.

Only one word could explain the air around the kunoichi. Annoyed. Even people on the street below could feel it, walking oddly stiff as they passed. Tayuya had been sitting on the roof for what felt like forever. First, she got a handful of trouble in dismantling the flute **without** damaging it. Secondly, she had to trim down the branch she broke into decent sized pieces. After all, she was no craftsman or a carpenter, so she knew fully that she wouldn't make anything near a perfect one on her first try. Unfortunately, the girl so many failed attempts that she lost count. Her latest creation was nowhere near ending that streak.

With an annoyed growl, the girl slowly rose to her feet. "Ugh!" Her arm swung fast, tossing the flute as far as she could. She breathed hard, anger still coursing through her veins. Her hands quickly made it to her head, running through her red hair in frustration.

"Why the hell can't I get this!" She growled, falling back down to the roof. "I'm not expecting to get it right away, but this just isn't even remotely coming together!" Her eyes drifted to the two flutes in front of her. It just didn't seem to be possible. They were a bit more complex than one would think by looking at the exterior. She just sat and stared, mind still trying to figure out what made this so _annoying_. Suddenly, the feeling to smack herself filled the girl.

"I'm such a jackass…" She muttered, hanging her head. Of course it wouldn't be easy. Both of them were anything but basic. Her flute was custom made, just for her and her Genjutsu and after taking another look at the 'toy', it seemed more professional. Unfortunately, now it was in pieces in front of her. "I _really _feel like a jackass now…"

* * *

A harsh, shrill sound cried through the air, making people cringe and curses fly. The girl's fingers flinched as the sound started and it took a bit of self control to stop her from chucking the flute. The attempt at reassembling the flute was a failure, something the angry shouting voices on the street below confirmed. The girl let out an aggravated sigh. She put everything back where she found it, yet it still wouldn't sound right. She tried just about everything she could think of, mixing parts, leaving some out and even shifting them around but nothing seemed to work. The crude noise the flute made only got worse, or a little better. Nothing notable.

"Great, just great…" The girl muttered as she dismantled it again. "Why the hell is…" She paused mid sentence. A slight tingling feeling came from the back of her head. Her inner shinobi was speaking to her.

Turning around, she turned to see black hair spiking up with bangs. She snorted, acknowledging the boy's presence. There was only one thing odd about it. Usually when she felt someone else's presence, the urge to throw something or start a string of handsigns filled her. However, this time it wasn't there. She just turned, as if nothing was wrong.

Pushing the thought aside, the girl snorted at the boy. "What brings you here duck-ass?"

"…Nice playing." A small smirk appeared on his face as he spoke.

The girl's cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "That's…! You…!" She stumbled for words, until finally settling on a few. "Shut the hell up!" His smirk only widened at the response. "What the hell you smirking at!" She growled at him. "It's the flute, not me!"

The smirk on the boy's face never moved as he stepped closer, taking a look around. "… Why?"

"Because," She stopped. Why was she explaining herself to him? Wasn't he the same person who was doubting her a while ago? Her blush began to fade as she put on a smirk of her own. "Bite me."

The boy just stared at her, shaking his head. "Che, difficult…" The Uchiha muttered, taking one last look at the girl before disappearing into an alley.

The girl stood dumbly as she watched him go. _What just happened there? Why did I even react like that to him? The way I felt his presence… And what do I care what he thinks? _She sighed, glancing at her pile of failed attempts and the one in her hand. "And what the hell am I going to about this mess…?"

* * *

The girl sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time for that day. About how much fruitless labour had she done? Burn off part of a branch, get someone to steal a flute, dismantle said flute, fletch _too many_ failed copies and even fail to reassemble the flute. All for what? To just have to 'borrow' a garbage bin to dump all in. Just the thought of it made Tayuya's blood boil and the urge to find a certain duck to punch, might as well kill two birds with one stone she figured, arise. But, it was not all bad. She actually was rather proud of herself. The 'old' her wouldn't have even gotten the branch. She would have considered it too much hassle and give up or beat someone into doing it for her.

So, with her wooden shavings stuck in her hair and a bit of sawdust on her face, she walked tall, or as tall as she could, through the streets of the base, making her way to her room. After all, the urge to punch something hadn't left yet and she felt that Akhito had been put through enough for that day.

It didn't take her long to reach the patterned walls with torched hanging on the walls. As she walked through the seemingly endless hallways underneath the base, a familiar face slowly formed lower down. Silver hair was the first thing to show, then a slight glimmer came underneath, revealing a pair of glasses. That was all she needed to know.

Kabuto.

The first instinct that came to mind was to snarl at the man as he passed. After all, he spent the most time with her favourite person in the world, so she doubted they would have the best relationship. However, a second thought came. He was the main medic on the base, which meant that if she got injured in a training accident, she'd need his expertise. It was either that or put her trust in Akhito.

Without even considering the second alternative, the girl swallowed a bit of her pride. The man looked up as he saw her approach, apparently lost in his thoughts before she came along.

"Konichiwa Tayuya-san." The man greeted warmly.

A shiver went down the redhead's spine as he talked. She never really did like him. Whenever he talked or greeted someone, there was always this two-sidedness to his words. She always felt as if he was trying to do or say more than he was letting on. At first she was worried about him thinking of betraying Orochimaru, but now it was just a bit unnerving.

"Hey." She responded, giving a small wave. "I need to ask you something."

His eyebrow rose slightly. "Go ahead."

"About that jutsu you used to heal me," She paused, gathering her thoughts. However, she never finished.

"Don't rely on that." He said quickly, pushing his glasses up.

"Say what?"

"You see, it's a very risky and complicated jutsu." His face turned serious as he began explaining. "It has the same odds of survival as the curse mark." Tayuya swallowed hard as she heard that. "And it even has more conditions. Someone with a similar body must be sacrificed to restore the person's body."

She then snarled at the man. "You mean you sacrificed another innocent person!"

"Well, it's not really sacrificed. More fused." The man replied, same tone in his voice. "Besides, the person wasn't _that_ innocent anyway."

"F-Fused? Now you're just talking craziness." The kunoichi looked at him with disbelief. Fusion? What was next? Flying and glowing hair?

"That is what makes the jutsu dangerous. There is a 90% chance that your body will completely reject the other person's, and both of you will die. Also, your body takes some of the other's different attributes, since the other person's body combines with yours helping to repair otherwise unrecoverable bone and organ damage, also allowing you to be back at full in little to no time. By the way, have you noticed any differences? Change in hair colour, growth?"

The more he talked, the more the girl shivered. There were two main reasons. Was she really in such a bad shape after the mission? Had she really gone through that much? Was she really that weak? Also, the man was beginning to creep her out even more. A light seemed to have fired in his eyes as he started talking about the jutsu and frankly, it wasn't too assuring to see someone that interested in a jutsu which requires sacrifices.

"So, please be extra careful, ok? I'd prefer not to have to do another life-threatening procedure. Despite it being good experience, it would do me some bad to lose the only person to survive." He said with a smile, as if talking about something which wasn't life and death.

His words seemed a little odd to the girl, so she decided to deep a little deeper. "Be extra careful? What would cause me to need to do that?"

The medic's eyes widened a little bit, before letting out a chuckle. "Oops… I guess I shouldn't have said that." He smiled warmly for the girl. "You're a little sharper than usual, good. Oh well, chatting was nice but I have places to go, people to…" He let the statement float as he began walking away. "Sayonara, Tayuya-san."

The girl almost glared at the man as he walked away. _And this is why I hate talking to Kabuto… I swear, every time you try to make sense of what that man says, you'll be making better use of your time trying to solve world hunger._ Grunting, the kunoichi continued down the hallway.

The more Tayuya walked down the corridors, the more Kabuto's comment weighed on her head. _Be extra careful…_ _Why 'extra'? Normal training wouldn't kill me… Normally. So it means that there would be something to make it worth saying. Then he says 'Oops'…_ She didn't realise that she opened the door and walked into her room.

"…"

_What could this mean? It doesn't feel like a big secret, but it wasn't meant to be said either… Or am I just looking at this too deeply._ She would have continued, but something snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Wh-Whoa!"

**Bam!**

The ground rushed to her face, as she walked straight into her bed… and toppled right over, sliding across an onto the floor. Pain coursed through her head, though it wasn't much to her. After all, she'd been though much worse in her lifetime. Once her mind seemed to register everything that happened, a scowl spread across her face as she heard another set of breaths.

"Say anything other than 'Hn' and I'll kick your ass so hard, you'll sit on your face for a year." She said, quickly turning her face away from the boy, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"… Nice landing…" He muttered in response, clearly loud enough for her to hear.

The girl's hand twitched as she heard him. Slowly, she raised her head, giving a fake warm smile to the boy. "Say that again? I didn't quite catch that."

"… Your hair looks nice too…" He taunted still. In his mind, two things were happening. One: something was yelling at him, screaming all sorts of words at him. What was he doing? This was a waste of time and energy. It got him no closer to his goals and in the end, she'd just be a waste of time. Two: Silence. It focused solely on the girl, wait for her reaction. This oddly interesting, oddly attracting girl was challenging him and it was one he just couldn't help but accept. Now, it was to see what would happen next.

"Oh…" She sunk her head. "That's what I thought you said…" Inside, the boy gave a little sigh. Was she going to be like all the others?

"Bitch!"

**Bam!**

A fist rammed into the boy's gut before his mind registered anything. The pain seemed to foreign, so weird. It didn't hurt per say, but rather carried a special feeling with it. The punch itself actually caught him off guard, something which kind of worried him. The girl flew from her spot and at him, fists balled and one punch already given. However, it didn't stop there. The redhead's weight fell completely on him, pushing him off his bed and onto the floor. From there, her fists continued to fly, all connecting to his stomach. His pride didn't let it end like that however. He grabbed one of her hands, staring her down as she prepared the other.

"Oh yeah? Bring. It. On. Bitch."

The next events seemed to be a blur to the both of them. They tossed, turned, exchanged blows. After all, her wasn't going to let her outdo him. Hands flew around, even a few knees and kicks came. It all came to a screeching halt, Tayuya on top, hands trapping the Uchiha in. Her head hair fell onto his, her red mess mixing with his black bangs. Her chestnut brown eyes gazed down into his onyx ones.

"Ha! Who's on top now?" The girl smirked in triumph, as she leaned closer to him.

Instead of responding, a smirk unwilling appeared on Sasuke's face as his eyes travelled up and down her body. He felt like bashing his head as he did, but it just seemed like his body and mind were in battle ever since first meeting the girl.

Tayuya's smirk slowly began to fade as she saw his. "What the hell are you smirking…" She then caught the movement of his eyes. "…At…?" Taking a look for herself, her own eyes travelled down her body. Her cheeks lit up as she realised. They were close. Too close. The boy let out a deep breath, his breath gently brushing across her face, sending Goosebumps rippling down her body. Being this close to anyone, especially the duck was the last thing the girl wanted to do. She felt like panicking, like lashing out at the boy, kicking and screaming at him to get away from her but… But… There was something. Something about being near him, which put an odd feeling through her. Her body didn't want to move away just yet, and she just stayed there, above the Uchiha.

The boy gazed up, to see a shade of red covering the girl's face. _She looks kind of…_ No. Don't say it. _**Never**_ say that! Not even to yourself! His other half refused to allow the boy to admit it, tugging at him ferociously. He too, was a bit uncomfortable being so close. He didn't even like to be anywhere near the shinobi that was training him, but that was for different reasons. This time, his instincts yelled at him. They wanted the girl gone, away, maybe even dead. Whatever it took to get her away. At the same time… It wasn't as bad as it could be. She… wasn't horrible. Yes, that was the easiest way to put it. Even with the shavings in her hair, sawdust on her face, maybe even _because_ of that, she wasn't horrible.

"… Where's your flute?"

Blinking a few times, the kunoichi took a few moments before blurting out, "Wha?"

"… You use a flute as a weapon. You tried to use your old one in the fight we had. Where's your new one?"

She blinked a few times, her mind trying to process what he was saying. Did he actually… care? Was he trying to have some kind of small talk or something? Her blush deepened a little more as she thought, something which didn't go unnoticed by the boy. With a sigh, the girl responded. "Of all things to say now…"

Suddenly, a foreign sound filled the air. After only hearing the other person's voice and the soft beats of the breath, anything else would have sounded weird to them. Slowly, their eyes turned to see the door now open, a figure standing in it. A purple mask covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible. Purple and grey camouflage painted his shirt and pants.

"Orochimaru-sama wants you in his office immediately. He has a mission for you."

**

* * *

Chapter end. Yes, I am truly sorry for the long wait. I'll try to get the next one out sooner, and since its summer, I can actually keep it this time (not that I'm not trying otherwise).**

**Also, I'm thinking of changing my penname. I was just wondering what you have to say on that, whether it'll affect you or not.**


	7. More than a mission

**Yeah, I know. It hasn't been even half of the time it usually takes for me to update. Call it the power of summer. That and lack of RS membership.**

**Enough about my personal ordeals. I'd like to thank those who reviewed and added this story to their alert list. I appreciate it. You really make my day when you do.**

**

* * *

Chapter 6: More than a mission

* * *

**

For once, Kabuto made sense. Of course, not while talking to him but eventually. He was Orochimaru's right hand man, so if anyone knew if the man had any kind of plan, it would be him. Since he wouldn't be on the mission, he couldn't guarantee the redhead's safety, so he'd give her a little warning beforehand. The man was actually looking out for her. Even if it was only because of research.

With her mind a little clearer, she and the Uchiha made their way to the snake's office. The air around held a certain amount of awkwardness in it. Her eyes would wonder all over the hallway, trying not to land on him. From time to time, she could feel his gaze on her, but every time she tried to steal a look, his head was facing forward, focused on the way ahead.

They stopped in front of the metal door. Or rather, she stopped in front of the metal door. Sasuke continued walking, not even bothering to knock on the door before opening.

_Is that kid insane? Last time I saw someone do that they came out without a head!_ _But, hey, there's no way Orochimaru will kill his toy._ She thought, before quickly following the avenger.

The pale skinned man looked up from his table. Books and scrolls littered the long table the man sat behind. The whole office on a whole felt more like a library than a leader's office. The two candles which illuminated the room showed a few shelves that were filled to capacity, some even had scrolls on the side.

A slight feeling of irritation came off him as he looked up, but he pushed it off. "Sasuke-kun," He looked at Tayuya for a moment, before looking back at Sasuke. "I have a mission for you." He pushed aside some books, looking for something in particular.

"I don't care."

The girl almost coughed up a lung as she heard the boy talk. _He just said __**what**__?_ She turned to stare at the boy. _What kind of death wish does this asshole have!_

The snake glared at the boy, letting some of his sinister chakra slip out into the room. The effect was immediate. The air got tenser, heaver and harder to breathe. Neither of the teens even flinched, Sasuke keeping his intense gaze and Tayuya looked rather uninterested.

"I'm not part of your village and I don't care about your personal affairs. If it doesn't have anything to do with my training, I don't care." The boy stated stubbornly.

This actually surprised the kunoichi. At first, she thought he was just stupid but he really was something else. The boy showed no signs of breaking down as he stood before the man.

"Kukuku… I know you're eager to train Sasuke-kun, so this has something to do with it." The boy focused a bit more as he heard those words. Lifting up a scroll, the man began the briefing. "You're travelling out of the area. The directions and rest of the details are inside."

The scroll was tossed to the avenger, who easily caught it. He didn't bother to open it, shoving it in his pockets and grunting at his sensei.

"You will leave tomorrow." Before he even finished, the man's head was down in his books.

Sasuke didn't have to be told twice. The boy was out the door even faster than he came in. Tayuya followed, though she left quickly for different reasons.

Anger coursed through her veins as she walked down the hallway. Her fists tightened and she even let a low growl escape her throat. _That damn, damn, __**damn**__ sanke! After all the shit I've done, all the blood I've shed, now you won't even acknowledge me! I have half a mind to take a little walk across the border and chat with a certain Kage… But no, not yet. He's got to feel my foot up his ass before anyone else gets involved._

Deciding that the day had been long enough, the girl went straight to her room. Sasuke had different ideas, so he went off on his own agenda.

Slipping out of her clothes, the redhead got her towel and marched over to the bathroom, ready to wash off the battle scars of the day.

**

* * *

The sound of running feet seemed to echo loudly in the darkness. Her breathing was harsh and sweat poured down her face. There was no scenery. Only darkness surrounded her as she ran but the thought of stopping never even came.**

…_**What is this…?**_

**The ground was so much closer than usual, and her panting sounded a lot different than usual. However, the more she thought, the deeper she dug, it just wasn't coming to her. What was this supposed to be? She could feel the tears running down her cheeks and she was beginning to hear sobs between her frantic breaths. Her heart was beating madly in her chest , ready to leap out and a feeling began to creep over her. Her head began to spin, her hands shake and the instinct to scream bit at her ankles. She hadn't felt so in a long time, but it was unmistakeable.**

**She was afraid.**

**Suddenly, her view turned. Her head involuntarily turned back, looking down the dark path she came from. At first, nothing came. All she could see was darkness and the cold, brown ground underneath her. Slowly, everything was beginning to come back. Wooden walls began forming in the darkness, showing the path she so desperately ran. Alleys appeared between these wooden structures and the darkness behind her slowly began to fade. As it faded, a figure began to form.**

_**He's…! He's… **_

**He looked no younger than thirty five and a large gut led the way as he ran behind her. His hair was short brown, matching his small, brown eyes. A scar travelled down the side of his face, from a little below the ear to the chin. His dirt brown shirt was open as he ran, with one of his hands trying to hold up his pants. Profanities and insults flew out of his mouth as he ran after her, only fuelling her desire to escape.**

**She pushed off faster, using every remaining ounce of her leg strength to go further and faster.**

**She rounded a corner, nearly out of breath. Her eyes remained glued behind her, waiting to see if the hentai was still following her. She never understood what the shitheads saw in a young girl like her, but they would come anyway. Each time they got bigger and smarter, each time getting harder and harder to escape ****from. This one was no different. She knew for sure, if she didn't manage to find some magical bush to dive into, this one would be the one to finally succeed.**

**Without warning, the girl found herself off her feet and crashing down to the ground. The pain which followed didn't even register; all she wanted to do was escape. Looking back, she saw what caused her to fall.**

**A tall man loomed over her, his skin pale white and long black hair came down. His clothes were odd, the kind she had never seen before. His eyes resembled a snakes own, with purple markings around them. They gazed at her, the look seeming to pierce through her entire soul.**

**A scowl formed on her face. "What the hell are you doing you snake bitch! Couldn't you have gotten out of my damn way!"**

**The man seemed to be a little surprised at her language, raising an eyebrow but his face remained devoid of emotion. A voice slowly crept into their ears. Curses and insults rained down softly, sending chills down the girl's spine. She tensed, a look of horror filling her eyes. **

**Fwap!**

**A metal knife suddenly found itself lodged in the ground next to the girl. Her eyes widened a bit as the man began to walk away.**

"**I've given you the power. Don't waste it."**

**She looked at the man, then back at the knife. "… Power…" A shiver was sent down her spine as she looked at the knife. Slowly, her hand reached for it.**

_**No! Wait… Why is this beginning to feel so wrong…?**_

**Her fingers curled around the blade, her hands shaking as she pulled it out of the ground. The blade seemed to shine, despite the lack of light. She staggered to her feet shakily, turning to face the direction she just came in. Both hands gripped it, a serious look coming over her face.**

**The man rounded the corner quickly, racing to catch his prey. His eyes widened as he saw the girl mid-air, knife in hand. Time slowed down as she neared her chaser, the knife moving closer and closer. A look of horror crept onto the man's face, his hands beginning to move up to try and block his vital spots.**

**He failed.**

**The knife plunged through his muscle, going as deep as possible into the man's chest. Then, it came.**

**Red.**

**Blood poured out madly out of the wound, spraying the girl. His hand reached up but fell back down in the pool of blood. **

**Horror. Shock and sickness filled her being. She felt like running, screaming, anything to get the image out of her head. However, her body refused to move. All she could do was watch as the blood sprayed, his bodily fluid covering her body, the rancid smell filling her lungs. **

**The dream only got worse from there.**

**She pushed her hands in the red liquid, pulling them out and staring at her hands. She gave the man a light slap on his face, only to see the body move lifelessly, obviously dead. She slapped him again, harder. The head only slumped to the other side, still giving no indication of life. Her head dropped, her hair blocking her face.**

"… **Haha…" Softly began to come from the girl. "Hahaha… Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Mad laughter filled the space.**

_**No… No. This isn't me. This isn't me!**_

**The laughter got louder, sicker and sent Tayuya's subconscious sick. She looked down, into the pool of blood. Inside, the girl was horrified and sickened, outside, a sadistic smile painted her face. Slowly, her hands cupped and lowered to the blood. She scooped up the red liquid, her sickening reflection never leaving her gaze. The blood got closer to her face, her lips open. They pressed against her wrists, her hands finally starting to tilt up.**

* * *

The girl shot up from her bed, sweat raining down her face. Her face held a horrid expression, her eyes wide open. The sheets were dripping with sweat, matching her clothes. The rapid beating of her heart was accompanied by frantic breathing. The room began spinning around her, her stomach beginning to toss and turn like a boat in a hurricane. Then, the boat capsized.

One hand flew over her mouth and the other across her stomach.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom. Her red hair covered her face as she looked down at the sink, watching the remnants of her last meal going down the drain. Coughing a couple more times, she washed her face, taking a long look at herself in the mirror.

"… What the hell was that all about?" She asked herself softly. The last thing she needed was to wake up the duck. Who knows what he would say and the last thing the redhead needed was an awkward conversation. She had enough trouble with herself, she didn't need him in the mix.

It wasn't a dream she hadn't had before. In fact, it was a dream every shinobi has almost on a regular basis. It was her first kill. The one which started it all, the spiral into a monstrous killing machine. No one ever forgot their first kill, especially the face of the victim. It always stayed in their head, serving one of two purposes. One is a negative: a constant plague on the mind, until it turns to a reminder of what would happen if you failed your mission. The second was a pleasure. Something to bring a smile to your face every time you thought of it, something to remind you of the wonderful life you lived.

When you feel the second one, that's when you know you're no longer human.

Slipping out of the bathroom, Tayuya stealthily crept through the room while doing her best not to wake up the Uchiha.

"… What's wrong…?" Her cheeks lit up in embarrassment as the voice came from right behind her.

_Did I suddenly turn into a crappy shinobi or something?_ She asked herself, slowly turning to face the boy. "… Nothing."

The boy didn't even blink. "Stop lying. I've been awake since before you woke up. What's wrong?"

She couldn't help but stare at him. _What's up with him? Why's he showing so much interest all of a sudden?_ "Menstrual issues." She lied through her teeth. There was no way in hell she'd let that damn asshole see her weakness. "I'll be fine by morning."

With a small nod, he made his way back to his bed. "Just don't get in my way during the mission."

_Don't… get in your way? Don't get in your way! _Her fists clenched as the words replayed in your head. _And I actually thought for a moment that he wasn't a freaking lap dog to the snake!_ She could snarl at the Uchiha by the time she finished, but instead she just opted to go to bed. After all, some of the best dreams come when you're sleeping. Or, at least that's how it used to be.

* * *

The next morning, the two made their way to the gates. Unlike in his past life, there was no good-bye committee. Everyone was on their own agenda and couldn't care less that you were leaving. Or, at least that's what he thought it would be. A few of his… followers stood by the gates, sending glares at the girl which stood next to him. He stood next to Tayuya at the gates, waiting for the guards to verify their papers. Despite the two both preferring to just sneak out the old fashion way, an Oto nin came to escort them, ensuring that the new member learned the proper protocol.

He stood in his new attire, a black sleeveless shirt, black arm warmers and white shorts. On his back sat a bag, containing all of his travelling gear. Or at least as much as he could find. The base was disgustingly basic. Knowledge was passed down by mouth, not paper so maps or any other kind of navigational tool was hard to come by. Luckily, he was at least able to get a compass and listened to some perverted woman ramble on about one of her 'missions' in the general area of their mission. The redhead, on the other hand made no prior arrangements. She didn't even have any travel gear, her back clear and two hands swinging.

"Open this once your mission is done." One of the guards handed the avenger a scroll, before opening the gates.

Without taking a second glance at the guard, Sasuke stuffed the scroll into his pockets, casting a look at the redhead kunoichi who had that blasted boy next to her, before leaving.

Tayuya quickly followed, shoving Akhito aside and departing from the base.

* * *

The trip was a silent one. Sasuke led the way, leaping through the dense forest and Tayuya followed silently behind. They moved non-stop, with any breaks being less than five minutes, in which the boy would only look at the scroll or a compass. The silence didn't bother either of them. The Uchiha was more than contempt with just focusing on the mission, lest his mind split in two from conflicting thoughts. The kunoichi seemed to prefer the silence, as opposed to the constant bickering and insults of her last group.

The scenery around the two made little change as they moved. The dark, clustered forests of Sound territory slowly began to loosen, a little more light beginning to shine through and a little more space between trees. This allowed them to make a little more speed as they progressed, but it didn't really matter to the redhead. This whole mission was just one reason to escape the cramped walls of the base and stretch her legs.

The day moved by rather quickly. As with most missions, the beginning was uneventful. There were no enemies, not even many wild hostile animals. Before, she would have immediately dubbed the mission boring. However, with her new mind found it rather nice being able to have her guard down during a trip. Well, as down as someone trained by Orochimaru.

At nights, the boy would take it upon himself to set up the rough camp. He set up the fire and a sleeping area for himself. Tayuya would catch food which would manage to feed the two of them, but didn't sleep in the same area as him. Instead, she rested on the back of a tree and crashed for the night. The routine continued for three days, until they boy brought them to a small town.

By then, the trees were looser, allowing travel by foot instead of tree. Compared to other settlements, it was small. Yet, the base couldn't hold a candle to it. The two entered in what seemed to be a residential area, people walking casually outside their homes and chatting with their neighbour. The houses were made out of wood, but were anything except rugged. They looked more than sturdy with a nice homey feel as well.

The redhead stood and stared at the scene. Every detail, every person standing happily, every home (no, not house, _home_) seemed to sink into her head. The longer she looked, the harder it became to look away. Emotions began running through her, bringing new sensations going through her body. All of a sudden, she felt so… odd. All those feelings never used to affect her, if they even existed before. After all the time, all the missions, she never really felt this way before.

Envious.

"We…" Her voice wavered, her head facing away from the Uchiha. "Let's just get on with this mission."

For a moment, Sasuke stood and looked at the girl. _What's…? She's…_ The sentences never seemed to be able to form. They would never go more than a few words, before his controlling half got to him. "…Hn…"

* * *

The two walked through the town, going from residential, to commercial, only to end up back in the forests. They didn't stay too long though. The forest suddenly cleared as they walked, revealing a large, traditional Japanese house.

The avenger didn't even seem to notice the change in architecture, going straight up to the door and knocking on it.

At first, there was no response. The sound just died down, as if the whole building was empty. A growl escaped the slowly irritated girl's throat as she stood there, still waiting.

Without a sound or warning, the door slid slightly open. Nothing was visible, but a presence was felt.

"Why are you here?"

"A snake wants a blowjob." Tayuya blurted out, earning a glare from her teammate.

No response came at first but the door slowly slid open, showing an old man. The phrase 'old man' did him anything but justice. His muscles were still defined, his back still straight and the man looked more than capable than taking care of himself. The only thing which called the name was his hair. Or rather, lack of and discolouration. His bald spot wasn't just a spot and what was left was grey to every sense of the colour.

"I know that voice and crude sense of humour." The man's rough voice said as he eyed the two. "I'm guessing you're not here for anything normal. What does Orochimaru want now?"

Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulled out the scroll, opening it and showing it to the man. His eyes scanned over the scroll, his eyebrows moving as he continued.

Grunting, the man tossed the scroll back. "Bah, does that man think those kinds of materials grow on trees?" The tone in his voice was obviously annoyed as he walked inside, leaving the door open.

The two walked inside, Tayuya closing the door behind her and rushing up to the old man.

"Who's the new kid? And where are the rest of you snot nosed brats?" He asked.

"Those assholes got themselves killed. He's the replacement." The girl said.

The man cast an eye on the boy as she said that, giving him a quick examination. With a sigh, the man continued walking. "As long as none of this affects me aside from my payment, I don't care."

"Say… You get paid a shitload of cash, right?"

"What do you want now?" The man grunted, glancing at the redhead.

"I need a new flute. My last one got destroyed." She deadpanned.

The man had the opposite reaction. He laughed full heartedly, leaning back with a hand on his stomach as he did. "Serves you right! You probably got in over your head in a fight!"

Scowling, the kunoichi glared at the man. "I didn't get in over my head! Some bitch just appeared out of nowhere and had a lucky shot!" The man looked at her, an eyebrow risen. She resisted for a while, before sighing and throwing her hands up in the air. "It wasn't a lucky shot… Even if we fought a thousand times, I would have still lost."

The man had a small smile on his face as she said that. "Wow, you brats can really mature. Last time, you would have denied it to your last breath." The girl scowled at his response. "Besides, a little humility will do you good."

"What the hell do _you_ know about being a ninja anyway?"

"You think I just like to see shiny things in the morning?" The man retorted, the girl's eyes widening a bit as he said that. "Everything I can make, I can use. It's the only true way for you to know if you're doing a good job."

The girl's eyes lit up as he said that. "You know how to play the flute?"

"What? No! I didn't even make that!"

The girl scowled as she said that. "You old lazy ass! I got my last one from you and now you're denying that you made it!"

Shaking his head, the man replied. "Exactly. I _gave_ it to you, not made it for you. I got it from someone for you."

"Ok then, that guy live somewhere around here?" The girl asked, finally seeing the light at the end of her fluteless tunnel.

The man huffed at the question, his face screwing up. "If you want it, get it yourself. I'm not dealing with that _thing_ again. More trouble than its worth."

Tayuya grinned as the words entered her ears. She almost ended up leaping into the air and wrapping her hands around the man. Instead, she settled for bouncing around inside. _Finally! I can almost feel the flute in my hands, fingers gliding over…_

The look her face took didn't bypass the man. "You're actually going to do it?"

"Hell yeah!" She replied without even thinking. "I'm not letting this pass me by!"

Looking at her for a while, the man nodded. He saw it, the fire in her eyes, the desire which wouldn't be held back. "It must mean more than just a flute to you… Ok then. I'll tell you." The redhead leaped off the ground as he said that. "Tomorrow."

And then she slumped over. "What! Why wait till tomorrow?"

The man leaned over, grabbing her head as he looked at her straight in the eyes. "Three reasons. One: I don't work for free. You want the info, you have to pay me someway or another. Two: My work is tiring and Three: I don't really want to tell you where to go."

"Wait, pay you how exactly?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll see." The man replied, a small smile on his face.

* * *

"You old damn, freaking lazy ass!" The girl yelled.

The man brought both of the ninja outside of the house, towards the back. There, still on the compound, stood a large, stone structure. Inside showed the man's true profession. An anvil sat in the centre, with the rest of equipment placed around it. A large coal store sat next to the furnace, shovels ready and waiting next to it. Hammers, moulds and all sorts of tools hung on the walls. Even an ore extraction area was erected in this workshop.

The redhead stood, shovel in hand as she yelled. This only earned her a chuckle in return. "You want to know where you can get your flute?" The girl slowly nodded in return. "Then get shovelling. Hurry up or you'll let the furnace get cold."

Growling, the girl turned to the pile of coal and began shovelling the coal into the furnace.

Behind her, the man spoke to the boy. "It's going to take a week to make, and before you ask, NO you can **not** hang around to help. This is very delicate, careful work and hands and eyes as unclean as yours can not see this. Go practice making a handsign or something."

Sasuke seemed to understand and left. Or, at least that's what it sounded like to Tayuya. She couldn't be bothered to look. If shovelling the coal would get her a flute, then the furnace would be overflowing by the time she was done. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing.

Slowly, the man walked around behind her. "To come so suddenly with a request as odd as this…" The blacksmith said with a sigh. "Only someone as blind as Orochimaru could do that."

"You can say that again…" The girl muttered under her breath as the sound of a rock being pounded filled the air.

* * *

The work was more than hard and by the time the girl was done, her shirt was off, sweat drenching her. Apparently, there were arrangements for them to stay at the man's house, something which had the man not mentioned she wouldn't have known. She was actually surprised he agreed to it, especially after the last time she was there. The kunoichi made her way into the house, arms hanging down limply by her sides. The room was actually empty, save for a couple of futon on the floor.

_So, the duck was kind enough to lay out a futon for me. How sweet. Maybe I'll give him a little kiss on the cheek when I see him_. She thought sarcastically as she walked inside.

It was only then she heard the sounds of soft, rhythmic breathing. She looked to see a head of black sitting on one of the futon, a body below it.

_So he trained himself to sleep, huh? _She shook her head, walking towards her own futon. _I swear, he won't die in the battlefield. Nope, won't even reach there. He'll kill himself on the training field, overworking his body until the very end._ Without any bother for personal hygiene, the girl fell on her own futon. Her eyelids felt heavy, her head tilting to the side. Even blink of hers began to get longer and longer… Until…

**Red. Everywhere.**

She jolted up, eyes wide and stomach ready to remind her of her lunch. Her hand rushed over her mouth. Without even feeling it, she was breathing heavily and was sweating again. Some time seemed to pass, as there was a lot less light than when she fell asleep.

"Shit…" She muttered to herself. Looking around, she made sure the Uchiha was still asleep before getting up.

The room remained silent as she crept out of it, leaving the main building and heading to the bath house. Her clothes fell as she entered it. After cleaning herself, she dipped into the tub, sinking all the way in and letting the hot water soothe her body. The water steamed, relaxing her whole body as she slowly began to nod off. Once again, sleep called her. Her head slumped to the side, her world falling to darkness.

**Laughter. Mad laughter.**

She bolted up again, the water she sat in anything but hot. Her heart rate was through the roof, her face sweating again. Angrily, the girl got out of the tub and into her clothes, which she remembered to wash.

With nowhere to go and the night leaving a veil of darkness over the land, she did the only thing she could think of. Going onto the roof.

She stared up, looking at the black blanket. Through the blanket, bright dots of yellow poked out, painting a masterpiece of shapes and figures.

Somehow, the starry sky held a calming feature about it. Her heart slowed down as she watched the stars twinkle, her mind unconsciously making patterns and designs.

"You can't sleep…" The girl almost lept out of her skin. "Why?"

She turned to see the Uchiha sitting next to her, his face still unreadable. "Get lost."

Instead, the boy sat down next to her, looking up as well. "Just make sure you don't slow me down." The girl's teeth grinded as he said that. "I'll take you out if you do."

Suddenly, her teeth stopped. Her eyes widened a little bit, before going back to their normal size. "Ha, yeah right. You're the one who's slowing me down." A small smile coming on the girl's face as she said that.

* * *

The two didn't go to sleep that night. They just sat in silence, looking up at the stars. Sleep didn't call as much as it did before and the two stayed and watch the dark sky change into a sea of colours before settling on blue. The whole scene almost moved the girl, making her wish that the sky wouldn't settle on blue so quickly. The man groggily walked out and called them down. After eating, the boy disappeared and the man held up his end of the deal.

The morning was still young when the girl left. She had to walk through the town again and the last thing she wanted was for her emotions to get in her way. The flute had eluted her long enough, her fingers tingling at the very thought. The directions led her through the town, only to exit it once more. She walked through more forest, until coming to another clearing. The house was a bit of the same way, but in the same time different.

Standing in front of the door, Tayuya controlled her enthusiasm as she knocked on the door.

At first, there was no response. Suddenly, a loud thud sounded inside the house, leading to another chain of noises which got louder and louder. The door slid open crudely, a head popping out.

Green eyes stared at the kunoichi, irritation hinted in them. Her hair was jet black, flowing messily down. The fair skin which covered her face held a scowl as she spoke.

"What the hell do you want?"

**

* * *

**

**And I'm done. Another chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. I would have gone further but I felt that here was the best place to stop.  
**

**All feedback is appreciated and you can expect the next chapter sooner than later.**


	8. A trail?

**Ah yes, I am a man of my word. It wasn't done as quickly as before, but I did say you'd get another one and here you are now reading this. Also, take a load off. This chapter's longer the usual. Mostly cause I don't want to get caught in old habits of taking too many chapters for something. **

**Oh yeah, and as most of you have noticed by now, Uchiha is no more. I changed my penname. I hope it doesn't affect you guys too much.**

**

* * *

Chapter 8: A trail…?**

* * *

"What the hell do you want?" The head almost growled, her green eyes staring down the redhead.

Tayuya couldn't help but scowl at the woman. Who the hell did she think she was, staring her down like that? It took a bit of self control to keep the growl from climbing out of the kunoichi's throat. "A bird told me I could get a flute from you."

"No. Get lost." Was the flat response she got.

Tayuya's eyebrow twitched as the woman answered her. _This bitch is starting to get on my nerves…_ "Why not?"

"A _gaki_ like you would probably do something stupid and get it destroyed. Go cut yourself with a butter knife or something." The woman retorted, her head rushing back inside the door. The door began to slide back quickly, until a hand rushed forward, holding it slightly open.

"Listen here you bitch!" She snapped. Her blood was boiling by now. There was just something about the woman which aggravated her beyond understanding. She just seemed to know what to say to get her mad and now, she was going to get it. "I don't care who the hell you think you are, but you're getting your damn ass up and making a freaking flute for me!"

Her words died out, quickly seeping into the natural sounds of the forest which the house inhabited. For some moments, nothing else followed. Although she couldn't see her, the kunoichi could feel the other female's presence behind the door.

… _I freaking screwed myself didn't I…? _Didn't take long to flow into the girl's head. The silence only told her one thing, which –

The door slid open, a foot pushing it all the way.

Which definitely wasn't that.

In the sill rested a woman, towering over the redhead. The most distinct feature, to be fully honest, was her breasts. They were big, to say the least. After prying your eyes from them, you would also notice then slenderness of her body. Her limbs were slim yet defined, as well as her legs. Her hair really was long and jet black, running down her back but also shooting off in all directions.

"Get in. You'll get your flute."

* * *

The woman led the girl inside. The floor plan was rather odd. Despite the structure being big, there weren't many rooms. In fact, less than five. All it had was a kitchen, a bedroom, a separate bathroom and toilet and one final room. This room took up all the space in the house. What made it weird was that it was completely and utterly empty. All that was visible were the wood floors and the shaded sliding doors leading into the other rooms in the house. As they walked, a thought crossed through the girl's head.

What did this lady do all day?

"So, I'm a going to have to wait or do you already have on stand-by?" Tayuya finally asked, breaking the silence.

The woman stopped, turning to face the redhead. "You're not getting a flute."

"_Nani_!" Automatically leapt from the girl's mouth, her fists already clenching. "So why the hell did you bring me here!"

"Yet." The woman broke in, silencing the girl. She placed her hands on her hips, staring down the girl one more time. "I don't just hand these over to any old asshole which comes here. How long you got?"

"About a week… Six days at the most, though I'd have to leave that day. Why exactly?" The redhead asked, raising an eyebrow.

A small smile came onto the woman's face. "A week, huh? Good, I like a challenge." She flew her hand forward, pointing at the girl. "Now, listen the hell up _gaki_! One week. Survive one week under me and I'll give you one. If you break at any point in time, get lost and forget you ever came here. We got us a deal?"

Blinking a few times, the redhead let a grin cross her face. "Ha! One week with a weak shit like you! I probably won't break a sweat!"

The woman shoved her hand out, earning an odd look from the redhead.

"What? You too much of a cavewoman to recognize a handshake?"

Taking one final look at the hand, the girl reached out with hers, slowly touching the woman's own. The shake was firm, in fact, almost too firm.

* * *

She now knew what the woman did in her spare time. Rocks. Eating rocks, punching rocks, building rocks, it didn't matter as long as it involved rocks. Why you ask? Because that's what the devil's fist was made of.

Her tactic was quite obvious. She was trying to drill the girl into the ground, making her hit rock bottom of her energy in the first day. From there, she'd probably say it only gets worse in an attempt to scare Tayuya. They'd done almost everything anyone could have thought of. Push ups, sit ups, punching, kicking, jumping, running, wall climbing, weights, resistance and a whole lot more. They would go until the girl's body could take no more then go a little further. Of course, it would fail. The girl was determined, the girl was strong, the girl would not give up.

_Oh shiiiiiiiiiit… I'm going to freaking die… She's going to freaking kill me…_

It's always easy to think but doing is a different matter. The girl was currently on the floor, sweat raining from her, almost forming its own little puddle around her. On top of her sat her new trainer, who currently held an annoyed expression on her face.

"Come on! That all you got?" She yelled, bonking the girl on her head. "Get up and continue!"

Looking up, a growl came out of the kunoichi's mouth at the woman. Her breathing was harsh and it was beginning to get harder and harder to stay conscious. Her all-night adventure the night before was taking its toll on her. Her eyelids were heavy, her muscles a bit weak from the day before and her mind shaky. Her head slowly began to drop, her eyes closing. Closing… Closing… Closing…

_No!_ Her head snapped up, her consciousness coming back. _No sleep! That can wait… No way I'm flunking out of this!_ She tried to push off the ground, but her body refused. Everything seemed to be shutting down, longing to get the long awaited rest.

Suddenly, the weight on her back lifted. Legs appeared in the girl's line of sight, one of the feet tapping impatiently. "If you're dead, just say so."

"I'… not… dead…" The words barely crawled out as the girl raised her head to look at the woman. "I… can… continue…"

Green eyes focused on the exhausted girl, a growl coming from the woman. "If you're going to stay up all night, be prepared to face the consequences."

Grunting, the girl's tried to push up again. "Screw it… I can still… go… on…"

"Shut up, will ya. If you need to sleep, sleep. I don't want anyone dying inside my house and you can't fail if you fall asleep." The woman bend down, picking the redhead up from her waist.

"Put… me…"

**Bam!**

A rock – err, fist—rammed into the girl's head. That was the last straw. Her head, already woozy, couldn't take the damage anymore. Before slipping into darkness, one final think registered in her brain.

"Go to sleep gaki, go to sleep."

**

* * *

Bam!**

"What the hell?"

One main burst of pain rushed through the girl's body, until a second – nowhere near as painful – slight rush of pain followed. The blackness quickly melted away, the light blinding at first. Her eyes slowly adjusted, showing a bed. Or rather, the side of it. On said bed stood the black haired woman, fists in the air.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get your lazy ass off my bed and get ready! You think my training is sleeping all day or something!"

Immediately, the girl's blood began boiling. "What's wrong with you? You freaking kicked me out of bed! Are you insane?"

"Do you think I have all day to wait for you to wake up!" The woman yelled back. "Now shut the hell up and get dressed! Take too long and you'll receive a punishment game." She then stomped out of the room, sliding the door behind her harshly.

Clenching her fists, the redhead breathed in and out repeatedly. _It's for the flute… It's for the flute… Don't attack her, it's for the flute…_ Then, the spoils of the day before began to kick in. _Oh shiiit…! Everything and its grandmother hurts…!_

* * *

Instead of her usual clothes, a different set was left for her. She entered the kitchen, scowling all the way. Her hands barely fell out of the black top she wore, which was cut short, revealing the redhead's stomach. Her pants were long and spacious, the same dark black as the top. They weren't the best fitting clothes, but her breasts weren't flying around waving at everyone so it was good enough.

The scowl disappeared for a moment as the girl saw a plate of breakfast on the table as she entered. The woman sat at the low table, eating her own plate of food. Honestly, she expected the she-devil to make her cook her own food. The look she held didn't go unnoticed, as the woman spoke.

"You think I'd make you cook your own food? You're a guest." She spoke between eating. "For now anyway."

And the scowl was back. The girl sat down, saying a quiet 'itadakimasu' before beginning to eat.

The two sat in silence, the only sound in the room being the sounds of two people eating. The woman finished first, sitting quietly and waiting for the redhead to finish as well.

"So," She started in a quiet tone. "Are you done? Was it alright?"

"Well, actually it was alr-,"

The woman cut her off, rising to her feet quickly. "OK! If you can talk, you're done! Now get your ass in the training room before I kick it there!"

Grunting, the girl got up and stalked out into the self dubbed training room. In the centre, the woman sat with a game board in front of her. Small wooden pieces decorated the top, which was separated into many squares. It didn't take the girl long to recognize the game.

Shogi.

She stared blankly at the woman, then the board, then the woman again. "What is this…? A joke?"

"I'm quite serious gaki." The woman said. "So, sit your ass down and start playing."

Sighing, the girl sat down and looked at the board. It seemed as if she was playing with someone already since none of the pieces were in their starting places. She looked at the board, examining the placement of not only hers but the woman's own as well. The game wasn't as familiar to the girl as others but she understood the basics.

"Day One." The woman announced. "Beat me and you're done for the day."

The girl perked up at the statement. "Wait, all I have to do is win and I get the rest of the day off?" She leaned in closer, making sure she would hear the correct thing.

"Yes. That's all." The woman said calmly.

"Well then, settle down and prepare to lose!" The girl happily, sitting down. After the drill the girl went through the day before, something her muscles were still complaining about.

After a few moments of contemplation, her hand moved over a pawn.

"Ha! That's the best move you can think of?" Shot out from the other player's mouth. The girl's hand flinched, drawing back as she continued to look again. "What's wrong with you? If you're thinking of moving a piece, move it! It won't make a difference."

Shooting the woman a glare, she moved her hand back to the pawn and moved it.

The woman simply moved a bishop, before saying "_Tsumi_."

At first, the words didn't register in the girl's mind. A few moments later, a word finally formed in her head. "… What…?"

"_Tsumi_. You lost." Was the simple answer the woman gave, before moving the pawn and bishop back to their original spots. "Try again."

Growling, the girl looked back at the board. Her focus left the pawn, travelling across the board looking for a move. This time, she moved her rook a few squares forward to capture the woman's bishop. A smirk came over the redhead's face as she made the move, getting rid of the problem piece. This failed to faze to woman as she moved her knight calmly. This time, the girl looked closer, trying to think before moving.

"Why the hell are you even thinking? You'll just fail anyway."

The girl growled, moving a lance this time.

Before her hand even reached back by her side, the woman moved a rook. "Tsumi."

This time the kunoichi bolted to her feet, fists balled. "You! I! The bishop!" All the while, her eyes darted from the board to the woman and back again. "Ugh! What the hell?"

The woman's hands moved skilfully over the board, pushing the pieces back again. "What's wrong? You gonna cry to _Kaa-san_?"

She sat down, fists still clenched. "Oh hell no! I'm kicking your ass in this!"

A smirk came on to the woman's face as she leaned forward. "Oh really? Bring it on!"

* * *

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. All of which, spent moving less that three pieces before the call 'Tsumi' was given. The girl was making no progress at all. She spent all the time listening to insults, taunts and all other remarks just to see the woman move her piece calmly and easily and call the checkmate. One simple word could sum up the girl's thoughts at this time.

Aggravating.

All it served to do was anger the girl more and more, making her wish to just toss the board aside and charge at the other player. Every turn, the undying feeling to rip out her hair came as a new insult flew across. Every time the pieces were assembled, she felt like screaming out in annoyance. Why? It didn't make sense, to put someone through something as pointless as this just for a musical instrument. The woman obviously had no intention of giving her the flute but instead found joy in seeing her fail and get annoyed.

Yes, that was it. That's all she wanted. To hurt her, to annoy her, to break her and see her hit the bottom.

_No._ She wouldn't let it happen. Not again.

Slowly, the girl began to rise. Her eyes looking down at the ground, blocking her expression from the woman in front of her.

"What's wrong? Finally going to quit and get lost?" She taunted, leaning forward with a smug look on her face.

"You know what… You know what…" She began softly, before bursting out into a yell. "I do!" The woman's expression changed. Gone was the smirk on her face, but rather a look which seemed to be unreadable. "I don't know what kind of sick person you are, but if you think I'm going to do whatever the hell you think of for a week just to amuse you, you're wrong! I don't freaking need you, or your damn flute!"

"So that's what you think…" This time, it was the woman who slowly rose. "Well, then…"

**Bam!**

The girl's head slammed into the ground, anger visible on the woman's face. "How much of an idiot are you! You think that's what I'm after? Have you even considered in the slightest what I'm actually doing?"

"Have I considered?" Tayuya yelled back, ignoring the pain of a rock – fist – ramming into her head. "Have _you_ considered! All you've gone is try to push me further and further! Drilling me physically one day, then the next day all you do is kick my ass at some game while passing those freaking comments every damned second! What the hell does any of that have to do with a flute anyway?"

The woman gave a very audible grunt as she clenched her fist tighter. "Did you even think before sitting down? Have you even thought for this whole day, or have you just been rolling with the flow?"

"You think you're all that? Why don't you just tell me your master plan then!" She snarled, folding her arms and glaring at the woman.

Along sigh escaped the woman's lips as she massaged her nose bridge. "Perception." The redhead didn't respond, waiting for the rest of the statement. "Shogi is about combat. By using the game, you'll learn to think more about decisions on the battlefield." The kunoichi's glare dropped as the words entered her ears. "Also, the fact that you started without the usual setup also resembles a real life battlefield. The conditions will never be the same and will rarely be in your favour. This will teach you to take in details and form strategies for all kinds of situations."

For a moment, the girl said nothing. "Are you serious…?"

That triggered a growl from the black haired woman. "Do I look like I'm joking? You have something, but it's unrefined and gone completely once you get angry in any kind of way."

This, the girl had to admit was true. Once her nerves were hit, she'd lose everything and go on a practical rampage. "Ok, so you have _some_ idea of what you're doing…"

The woman continued. "I drilled you yesterday to see what your physical capabilities were and today I'm giving your body time to rest."

This was also true. She knew about muscle recovery, so it would make sense. Sighing, the girl averted her gaze with a scowl coming over a face. "Yeah, yeah… Whatever…"

"No sit your ass down and learn." The woman said darkly, slowly dropping to her seat and glaring at the girl for her to do the same.

"But you can't be serious! I only have one week, this kind of thing takes months for the least!" She argued, trying to find some fault in the woman's plan.

"You're no jackass. You'll pick it up." She grunted, still waiting for the girl. "Besides, I don't expect you to master it. Just pick it up enough so you get the hang of it and can get better on your own time."

Reluctantly, Tayuya sat back down and looked at the board. Her eyes gazed over the board, looking at each piece, trying to find one in particular to focus on.

"Tsumi."

The girl's head snapped up at the comment. "What? I haven't even done anything yet!"

"Well if you keep going at like that way that's the only outcome." The woman grunted. "You're focusing wrong. You're focusing on the leaf and hence missing the tree."

The words just seemed to pass through one ear and come out the other. "…What…?" The girl asked.

"Geez, I'm beginning to wonder about the statement I made before…" The woman mumbled, before starting to speak again. "You're missing the big picture by only looking at one thing."

"Oh…" _Well I feel kinda stupid now…_ Ran through the girl's head as she looked down at the board.

It wasn't long before she was going at it the same way as before, but slowly, she began to look at pieces in pairs and combinations. After a few moves, some thought and some 'Tsumi', she was beginning to see what the woman was talking about. She knew she wasn't dumb, but it was really starting to come into play. Turns began to pass in her head as she looked at the board, plans slowly forming an eliminating themselves. Of course, it didn't take five minutes. Without the girl even realising, the bright sky outside darkened long passed a hue of dark blue.

Slowly, the girl moved her lance a few paces forward. Silently, the woman looked across the board.

"Whoa, you're actually thinking?" The words flew out of the girl's mouth before they even registered. The woman usually just moved the piece without much delay, so a mixture of surprise and pride. The fact that she actually caused her teacher to think before moving said two things.

One. She was actually picking it up.

Two. The insane, aggressive, foulmouthed woman actually knew what she was doing.

She moved a rook silently, looking back up at the girl. A grin couldn't help but surface at the lack of talk. This only led up to one conclusion in her head. She finally had a chance to win. Her eyes moved quickly over everything, not spending too much time on one. Hastily, she moved her bishop, the thought of finally winning flooding her brain.

"Tsumi." The woman replied, moving a knight.

_So close… Yet so far away…_

* * *

Before going to sleep - or to be put correctly, being thrown into the bedroom after insisting— the games ended in almost the same way. Move, move, move, move, Tsumi. It was either two turns each or less. There was only one time it went any further. It was the final game. She took extra time, looking at each one, thinking of moves to follow and what would follow afterwards. She wasn't too surprised when she was about to do a third move, figuring it was just a matter of time until she lucked out. Sleep came easier than usual, though dreams didn't. She was mentally exhausted and only a coat of darkness filled her subconscious, though she couldn't complain. Nothing was better than something bad. No, not bad. Horrible.

Learning from the past, the first ray of light to shine through the window seemed to be enough. The moment warmth began to tickle her body, her mental bookmark went off. Her body began to stir, her eyes opening slowly. She sat up, wiping her eyes and giving a crude yawn as she looked around. Her eyes scanned the room, an old impulse which came from her years as a shinobi. Nothing was out of the ordinary, the wooden cabinet, bed a futon and…

"You're shitting me…" Tayuya mumbled, looking at the futon.

On the futon lied the black haired woman. Her hair was laid out even messier on the bed and her arms and legs spread out on it. She wore a simple shirt and tights, and a loud snore came from her as she dozed.

"I wake up early, only to see her sleeping in." The girl muttered, shaking her. "Just my luck."

On the edge of her bed sat another set of clothes. Nodding, the girl left the room and went onto the bath area.

After changing into the clothes on the bed, which resembled the ones from the day before, she went onto the kitchen for breakfast. There was a plate there, but something was wrong. There was nothing else, or rather no one else there. To anyone else, it would have felt eerie but effect on the girl was opposite. She was glad the woman was nowhere to be seen, almost relieved. Any kind of calm and relaxation was welcomed, as it was quite obvious that the woman would do everything in her power to stop it. Sitting down, the girl took her time to eat, enjoying the silence and solitude.

Once done, she strolled out of the kitchen. The house still looked empty, now causing an eyebrow to rise.

Suddenly, an inner alarm went off. On impulse, her legs threw her to the side.

**Bam!**

She rolled, looking at the spot she stood in a moment ago. There knelt the black haired woman, her fist on the ground. A growl escaped from the redhead as she stumbled to her feet, her hands coming up in defence.

Without warning, the woman rushed to the girl with her fists ready. Her movements were swift and sleek as she swerved along the path to the girl. In the blink of an eye, her leg was airborne and rushing to her face. Her arms rushed up to protect her, barely reaching in time. However, it wasn't so easy. Her weak body couldn't fully block the hit, sending her drifting back. The blows continued as the woman used the momentum from the kick to deliver a strong punch. This was the rock which broke the camel's back. Her block was shattered as the punch broke through, sending her flying across the room.

The crash to the wooden floor was painful, making the girl wonder what kind wood could withstand the woman's strength. Her legs shook a bit as she stood up again, her defence coming up once more.

Pain pulsed through her back as her arms up shakily. _Damn… So she turns on me now?_ Her eyes quickly covered the room as she thought. _To make matters worse, I can't even think of blocking her rock – fist -. I've got to think of something fast…_

"Don't bother thinking, just fight." Rang through her ears, sending a chill down her spine. This time, she couldn't block. Her feet spun her around, only for a foot to rush into her chest.

The impact was harsh, almost sending blood up the girl's throat as she flew across the room once more. She recovered mid-air, flipping her feet over to land on them. Her blood began to boil watching herself get knocked about. Her fists balled, shaking angrily, but something was beginning to stop her. The woman's words the day before started replaying in her head.

'_You have something, but it's unrefined and gone completely once you get angry in any kind of way.'_

The words played over and over, unwillingly calming the girl down. _I need to remain calm… Calm… Don't get too angry…_ The woman rushed up to her again, the girl's eyes following her as she neared. Her defence lowered, changing to offence as she readied her fists. _Now, it's time I stop running and start fighting._

She pushed forward, now running towards the woman, with her fist pulled back. Once within range, the girl's fist shot forward, aiming for the head. What happened next seemed to be in slow motion. The fist looked as if it hit, in fact a smirk was already forming on the girl's lips at the sight. Slowly, the woman sidestepped, dodging the fist before appearing directly in front of the redhead.

**Bam!**

She was sent flying once again, this time wrecking into a wall. Blood rushed up her throat, causing a small fit of coughs as she hit the ground.

_Damn it!_ The girl growled mentally, wiping the blood trailing down her face. _I can't stand this! She's just throwing me around!_

Her gaze went angrily to the woman, who seemed to have stopped. Instead of rushing to her, she just stood there inspecting her wrist. After a few moments, she placed one of her hands on her hips and began walking over to the girl. Tayuya's mouth opened to speak, but the woman cut her off.

"Wow, you suck worse than I thought." She commented rudely. "I figured you were tired during the first day, but you really do suck!"

The girl scowled at the comment. "Says you! Give me a flute and I'll clean the whole floor with your ass."

This caused the woman to give her a serious look, making her bite her tongue at the sudden change. "So you'll always be fighting someone who'll give you enough time to play or even draw your flute?" The silence which followed gave away the girl's answer. "There will always be a time when you will need to act without it. Never become arrogant enough to believe otherwise."

A hand slammed into the girl's head, pulling her up to her feet. "Come on! Don't just sit there and look stupid! Get up and do something about it!" The caused the girl's eyes to widen a bit. "You think someone is just gonna show up and make you stronger?"

The words seemed to have an effect on the girl. She stood on her own two feet and swatted the woman's hand off her head. "Shut the hell up." The girl retorted with a scowl. "You're supposed to be training me, not giving me a life lesson."

A smirk could be seen on the woman's face as she placed both hands on her hips. "Heh, I'll make you wish it was the life lesson instead."

* * *

Sweat poured off the girl's face, something which seemed to be a normal occurrence these days. The day had gone far, though it felt more that weeks than just one day. Body parts hurt, ranging from her hands all the way down to her legs and leaving no spot unharmed. The woman was a Spartan. Her training was incredibly hard and rigorous, something the redhead couldn't say she was used to. The closest thing to it was near absolute chakra depletion and it couldn't hold a candle to this. Aches and pain flashed through her body with every breath, and that was only during the idle moments she had between torut—training.

**Bam!**

"You guard is faulty and weak!" A yell echoed through the room. "Come on! Do it better!

The girl huffed as she readied her arms again, rising them shakily. Her breathing was more than harsh, her body was being pushed maybe even beyond its extreme, the pain coming from even holding a stance near unbearable at that rate.

The woman showed no mercy for her however. She wasted no time, rushing the girl once more.

Fists shot from the woman, crashing the girl's block. She cringed under the pain, but the block remained. The sound of cutting wind struck the girl, sending her down to avoid the incoming kick. She felt the wind through her hair, a chill going down her spine at the thought of it hitting her.

**Bam!**

The ground burned the redhead's face as she was sent to the floor, the woman's foot whipping around her body. "Never duck! Anytime you duck you give your opponent more control than you do!"

Tayuya's feet stumbled to lift her up, ignoring the immense pain. Her guard came up again, even more shakily than last time. _Ignore the pain..._ She told herself, fighting with her own body. _You can go further… This isn't the end of your strength… You can go further…_ "… What are you waiting for…?" She mumbled through breaths, her eyes on her trainer. "I'm… ready."

The woman glanced at her for a moment, before turning away with a wave. "Get lost. You're in no condition to go on."

"I can go on."

The woman stopped, her back still facing the girl. "Go rest." Her voice was firmer, harsher. "You can't -,"

"I can go on!" The girl yelled, despite the pain which followed. "I can still train!"

The woman turned around, her expression holding a sadistic smile. She slowly walked up to the girl, her fists clenched. "You can still train? Ok. Get ready."

**Bam!**

The fist was almost invisible. It struck harder than anything the girl knew, numbing her entire abdomen in moments. Her feet wobbled, losing their strength quickly and sending Tayuya to the ground. Her vision went last, as her gaze fading to black.

* * *

Slowly, her senses came back. At first, she felt nothing. An odd sensation filled her head and stomach, telling her mind one thing. She was knocked out. It felt so weird, since for the passed years of her life she rarely even fell asleep when she didn't want to. Everything rushed in next. Her body surged with pain, the two points mentioned before being the most predominant. Her breakfast threatened to come up again, but she pushed it down.

She struggled to open her eyes, fighting against the pain telling her not to.

Her vision was blurry at first, not even allowing her to make out different colours. Slowly, it grew more defined, revealing long black hair lower down on what seemed to be a bed.

Once her sight was back, she forced herself to a sitting position. Pain continued to rock her body, causing some curses to fly out of her mouth as she rubbed her stomach.

"Ugh… That was a freaking cheap shot…" She muttered, looking at the woman.

A smirk crossed the woman's face as she said that. "There was nothing cheap about it. Besides, you needed to go down anyway."

"I didn't need to go down!" The girl snarled at the woman, her blood beginning to boil. It was one of the last things she wanted to do at the time. She refused to let herself stop so short, especially after seeing what all the others were capable of physically. "I could have gone further! I could have been stronger!"

The smirk vanished as the girl said that, a sigh escaping the woman's lips. Her voice came out slow and calm, completely unlike the ruthless and loud persona she usually portrayed. "You reached your limit. Going any further would have -,"

"What the hell do you know about me!" The girl yelled, anger more than evident in her voice. "I don't give a shit about what you have to say, but I know me! I. Could. Have. Gone. Further! That couldn't have been it! I had more in me! I couldn't have been that weak!"

The woman visibly tensed. Her fist clenched, grasping the bed sheet to the point of tearing. Her body flew around, annoyance written everywhere on her face. "Weak…? WEAK? You don't think you're weak? Just by saying that you're being weak!"

The girl snarled at the woman, the only thing holding her back was the pain rocking her body. "So you think I'm the weakest piece of shit, huh? I should just give up, huh? Just end this farce called my life!"

The woman's rock – hand—clenched, apparently showing her inner battle to stop herself from harming the girl. "All this is freaking weakness! You don't even begin understand the concept of strength!" She leaned into the girl's face, yelling at the top of her lungs. "You think it's all about physical power, you think it's all about being the best at everything! You don't get ANYTHING!" The girl's mouth flew open, words hitting her teeth but the woman continued before they had a chance to get out. "Being strong isn't physical. It isn't about chakra. All those are just supplements for the true thing! Strength comes from you mind! Your resolve! You think you can be strong with a mind like that! Get real!" She turned, her jet black hair filling the girl's sight. "The truly strong fight with their heart, not their muscles. They fight not in the hopes to win, but knowing that they _will_ win. They don't wonder if their plan will work, but know that it will. They don't try to protect someone…" She faulted for a few moments, before continuing. "They… They do it!"

One those notes, the woman got up and walked out of the room, her face never coming in contact with the girl's face again. However, even if she saw it, she wouldn't have said anything.

The words, though only making half sense in the girl's head, hit deep. They obviously meant more than she was saying, but the made her think, something she wasn't used to. Before, she didn't need to. She would let Orochimaru do most of her thinking for her. The only thing she needed to think about was which curses to shout at someone. Now however…

_Strength… Strength… What really makes me strong…? _The words echoed through the redhead's head as she turned away from the door, closing her eyes and leaving herself to her thoughts.

* * *

The next day seemed to come way too fast. The girl's body still ached, but she got out of bed anyway. After going through the morning ritual, the girl came downstairs. There she saw the lady sitting on the floor, her eyes closed and her legs crossed. Slowly and silently, she sat down in front of her. A few moments later, the woman opened an eye, glancing at the girl. She opened the other one, opening her mouth to say something.

It never came out. Before she could get a word in, the girl did probably the most unexpected thing. She bowed.

Her head touched the floor, her red hair following suit. "Please… Teach me about being… strong."

The ends of the woman's lips pulled upwards as she saw that. Slowly, the girl raised her head, waiting to see her answer. Without warning, the woman pulled the girl close, holding her in a headlock. Her rock – fist – pressed onto her head, but this time it was different. The pain the girl was expecting didn't come. Instead, another feeling washed over her. Though the original feeling was rather annoying, there was a second one. Warmth. It felt so weird, even as bad as that time Akhito 'hugged' her. She eyes went up to see the widest smile she had ever seen on the woman's face hold and to be honest, she couldn't help but crack one too.

* * *

Once the fluff had died out, the true work came about. After breakfast of course. The two sat in the centre, the woman looking at the girl intensely.

"Ok, it's obvious that you're a fire affinity, so we'll start there." This caused the girl to tense a bit. She knew she had an affinity with fire? How? "This will be an exercise for both your chakra control and elemental chakra." The woman then revealed four large bowls, each filled with water. "Guess."

The girl's mind went off, thinking of all the possible options. "I have to boil the water?"

A smirk came to the woman's face. "Something like that. Just more… interesting." A shiver slowly ran down the redhead's spine. She only now caught the slight tone in the woman's voice. "As I said, this is more interesting. Usually, your hands would be on the outside, forcing you to learn to push your chakra outside your body. This time, they're going to be in the water. All four at the same time. But, enough talk. You'll learn through practice."

* * *

"Shit!" Blurted out of the girl's mouth, though she wouldn't have tried to stop it.

"Hey, hey! Start over!" A voice called out.

Grumbling, the girl dipped her hand back in the water. She was lying down on a bench, all four ends of her body in water. The task seemed simple enough, boil the water with her parts inside. However, nothing is as easy as it seemed. It took a lot more than just mindlessly pouring fire chakra.

First, you needed to boil all four bowls at the same time. Then, there was the really difficult part. Don't get burned. It's easy enough to shoot fire chakra from you fingers and toes, but once the water got to a certain point; you just had to move something. The girl understood the challenge quickly. Instead of only pushing elemental chakra through one to two points, push it through the whole body part. Hence, your arm wouldn't burn and you could boil the water. However, it wasn't so easy. Too much, your body parts feel like they're going to burst. Too little, you don't boil the water or just burn yourself. Also, there was one important point to all this. The chakra needed to be distributed **equally**. Anything less and you'd have an extra spot on your arm which wasn't anything near a mole or birthmark.

"Go again!" The woman yelled, the girl shooting her a glare before pushing her hand back in. Closing her eyes, the girl breathed slowly as she began to draw on her fire chakra. Reaching down, pulling her inner flame out, it began to seep over her body. Once it reached her arms and legs, the hard part started. She stopped the chakra from leaving her body, holding it inside. Then, she slowly began to push it out of her body. The first few times, it felt like nothing she had ever done before. Her body seemed to catch on fire (though she was probably just using too much), a feeling of immense power flowing through her body as the heat was expelled. It would have been the most exhilarating experience she'd had in a while, had it not been for the ending.

"Son of a bitch!" The words came out harshly, as the girl's legs flew up into the air. "Freaking water!"

Nodding, the woman spoke up. "You're going about this wrong." The sudden turn in speech caught the girl's attention as she removed her parts from the water and rested them on the wooden floor. "Had you not had one day, it would have been ok, however one day to pick something up means you need to make sacrifices. You can't go full force with this. Do it weak, just so that you learn how it feels and how it should be done. From there, once you're out of my hair, you can kill yourself trying to make it work better." A smirk crept onto her face, sending another shiver down the redhead's spine. "However, nothing stopping you from killing yourself going slow… So guess what, your chakra's hitting zero today! Get back to work!"

With a nod, and a groan underneath her breath, the girl lowered her limbs back into the water. This time, when letting her chakra flow, she lessened it. The change was quite different. The feeling of heat was lessened, almost to the point of going unnoticed. There was one thing which wouldn't let her forget it though.

"Oww!" The girl's arm flew out once more, waving around in the air in an attempt to cool it down. "Damn it!"

"Looks like you still need some work on your chakra control." The woman said. "But, we still have time. After all, you have a decent amount of chakra, right?"

* * *

The day went on, the girl slowly getting better and better, though she never stopped burning herself. By then end of the day, her arms and legs were bound by bandages and the walk to the bedroom was a lot more than uncomfortable. This time, she still had a little amount of chakra left but she didn't complain when the woman sent her off. The idea of hitting rock bottom wasn't a fond one and for the first time in a while, she was actually looking forward to sleeping.

The next day came quickly, though it wasn't anything near welcomed. Her limbs felt like crap, still hurting from her past days training. A number of curses rolled out of the girl's tongue as she turned away from the window, hoping to slip into sleep once more and forget about her pain.

**Bam!**

Pain coursed through the girl's side as something wrecked into it, pushing off the bed.

"Hey! Get up! You can't sleep all day you know!" A voice yelled, a fire burning in it.

Slowly, with curses still going, a head of red rose off the floor to see a head of black with its fists in the air. For a few moments, all they did was stare. Each looking at the other, waiting to see which would move first.

**Poof.**

A pillow flew into the woman's face, followed by some words.

"Piss off. Give me about another hour and try again." Tayuya retorted.

The pillow fell, revealing a deadpan expression on the woman's face. "One more hour huh?" She shrugged her shoulders, looking away. "Well, you've been working hard so maybe I can… Not give a crap!" The woman leaned in, her voice raising. "I don't care if you feel worse than crap! _You_ were one who came to _me_! Suck it up and get the hell ready!"

The girl leaned forward, raising her own voice as well. "But it's _your_ crackpot ideas that got me in this state! Try to take freaking responsibility! I'm not asking for a whole damn year! Just give me an hour and I'll be ready for action!"

"If you want an hour, get the hell out of my house!" The woman yelled back. "Just get ready and hurry up!"

"Sheesh! Fine! Get just the hell out of my hair!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

On that note, the woman stormed out of the room, leaving an angry redhead in her wake.

Her fists balled as stomped over, no matter how painful, to the bed to get her change of clothes. "I _hate_ that bitch!"

* * *

"I hate you."

"Love you too."

The girl scowled at the woman's response as she sat down to eat. They ate in silence for some time, until the woman got up and left. This caused an eyebrow to rise. The girl always noticed that she would stay until she finished eating. She brushed it off though, liking the lack of black hair in sight and deciding to take as long possible to finish. Once done, she walked leisurely out of the room.

**Fwap!**

Before she could even look ahead of her, white covered her view. It was quite obvious what happened to her.

"Why the hell did you blindfold me?" The girl asked, reaching out for the woman.

An amused chuckle came out as she said that. "Oh, you'll find out."

On queue, a hand pushed her forward, nearly throwing her to the ground. She managed to keep her ground, spinning around with her arms stretched, still trying to find the woman. She continued for sometime, until an odd sound crept into her ear.

_It sounds like… something's rushing towards me… Something… big…_ Her mind caught up with her. _Shit!_

She leapt to the side, feeling something graze her foot as she landed.

"What the hell are you up to?" She yelled, hands reaching up for the blindfold.

A hand swatted hers away. "No moving the blindfold. We're training your reflexes and hearing. After all, you use a flute, might as well become more familiar with your ears."

"Are you insane?" Tayuya snarled. "You're going to get me killed!" This, she honestly believed was true. The woman had little sense of safety, going for effectiveness instead. To make it worse, she had little to no idea of what she was dodging so she could only assume the worst.

Sounds of footsteps moving away could be heard as a voice spoke. "Oh well. Guess that'll just be one less gaki in the world."

The redhead sighed, coming to a simple realization. The woman really was crazy.

"You're starting now!" The woman called out.

Despite the woman's sanity issues, she was still training her. Tayuya put up her guard, knowing full well that she wouldn't be a genius at this. Her ears tuned in, trying to pick up any change in sound. At first, it was nothing. Then slowly…

Right.

Her body pushed right, sending her to the side. The feeling of wind grazing her face came as soon as she stopped, sending a cold sweat down the girl's back.

These things were not moving slow, nor were they small. Not that she was expecting anything less, but the feeling of nearly finding out the hard way wasn't quite enjoyable.

Left.

Her head cut into her thoughts, her body moving on instinct to the ground.

"Hey! What did I tell you about ducking!" A voice yelled angrily at the girl. "If you're going to do that, roll, don't just lie down there!"

A grunt came from the girl, as she waited for the object to swoop over her. Afterwards, she rose to her feet and moved to the side, not even waiting for it to come back. She stood still, her ears sharp and her muscles waiting.

Forward.

Her body obeyed, leaping forward and rolling once touching the ground. Or, at least tried to.

"Shit!" The girl yelled, clenching her head. The roll was a disaster. She hit her head, fell flat on the ground and moved no real distance.

A sigh filled the air as all over sounds stopped. "You've got to be kidding me… Come here. I'll teach you how to roll."

Following the sound of her voice, the redhead reached her in no time, almost running over her in the process. The woman's hands moved along her arms, putting them in an arc in front of the girl.

"Tuck your head in and roll up your arm and across your shoulders. Goes for same for any direction you're rolling it. Do it this way and you should be able to use the momentum to get up quickly." The woman explained, running her fingers down the girl's body to give her a feel of where her body should touch the ground. "Nothing to it, but to do it so get out there and let's continue!"

A hand suddenly grabbed the girl, spinning her around and pushing her off again. This time, she tried to roll with it. It was mostly successful, just a bit slow.

"Your rolling sucks. Work harder."

Or maybe it wasn't. _Looks like today's gonna be another one of those long days…_ The girl sighed mentally, standing up and waiting to move.

* * *

Right.

The girl's body shot right, doing a quick roll before getting back up.

Back.

She leaped back, feeling the wind from the object passing in front of her.

The day had gone mostly by. The training progressed, getting more and more difficult, to the point where she was getting hit once the level was raised. It turned out that her hearing was good. The problem was her reaction time. More than often, she would know the object was coming but would just be too slow to dodge. This caused her more than a bit of pain in her arms and legs (something which was beginning to become a bit too common for the girl's liking).

Huffing, the girl waited for the next move. Instead of a rushing object, a voice came instead.

"Game over gaki. Go rest. Tomorrow's an important day." The woman's voice called out.

Relief washed over the girl as she lowered her block. This was one kind of training she was more than happy to be finished with. Removing the blindfold, the girl's eyes widened as she saw what she was dodging. Logs. Some big, some small, some longer than others. How they were suspended or how they go there without the girl noticing was another story, but only one thing came to the girl's mind.

"You really are insane!" The girl yelled, turning to face the woman. "Do you even know how many pieces I would have been shattered into if one of those hit me?" to this, the woman shrugged carelessly and walked off into the kitchen.

With a sigh, the girl tossed the blindfold onto the floor and began to walk off. "Ah damn, rolling on the floor like this…" She muttered, taking a sniff under her arm. Her head turned quickly, one word flying out. "…Shit…"

* * *

Usually, the girl would take a quick shower. Something to just get it off quickly and effectively so she could get on with her life. This night, was different. She decided to take a bath, something which been done nor gone well, in a long time. After removing her clothes, the girl sat down and began washing herself off.

"You missed a spot."

Almost falling off the stool, the girl's hands flew to the important parts as she spun around. "Get the hell out!"

The woman stood in front of her, a towel covering her body, revealing her curse as well as the sly smirk on the woman's face. "My, you have cute screaming voice."

"I said get out!" She yelled, her face flushing in embarrassment. One of her hands reached out and threw the closed thing to her. At the time, it happened to be a towel.

Waving, the woman tossed the towel back. "Come on, the bathroom's big enough. Beside, I own the place. Be glad I don't make you bathe in the rain."

Snarling, the girl looked away. "F-Fine! Just keep the hell away from me!"

The woman grinned at the girl, grabbing a stool of her own. "Aww, you look so cute when you're embarrassed."

Scowling, the girl turned around and continued to clean herself. The room remained quiet for some time, the girl's cheeks slowly losing the pink colour as she prepared to go for a soak.

Suddenly, a pair of arms came from behind her body. "My my, you sure are big here, huh?" They grabbed her chest, squeezing softly. "Are you trying to catch up to me?"

The girl squealed as she tried to get away, but it was in vain. "Get your perverted hands off me!"

"What's wrong gaki?" The sly voice rolled into her ear. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind if that boy who popped up here a few days ago did it."

"Sasuke came here?" The words bolted out of her mouth before her mind could think.

"Ah! So there is a boy?" The woman placed her head next to the girl's adding a look to the voice.

The girl's cheek lit up once more, though the reason was unknown. _Ah crap… Damn my loose lips…_ She turned her head in an attempt to hide her blush.

The hands slid down to the girl waist, pulling her closer. "Aw, the gaki's got a boy on her mind! So cute!"

"I don't think about that duck ass, power hungry loser!" She yelled, hiding her face more.

"Says the girl who has insults on him on standby." The woman teased. "Too many words give you away."

The girl's face was beginning to take on the colour of her hair at this time. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for anything to help her.

The sudden rush of water made the woman's grip falter, long enough for the girl to get out. Moving her wet hair, she saw a showerhead in the girl's hand and a smirk on her face.

"That's too many words for you, or do you want more?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I may have a few words of my own." The woman dived onto the side, grabbing a showerhead of her own. However, she didn't have enough time to use it. Water blasted into her face once more, blowing her hair back.

"Had enough yet?" The girl smirked, releasing the water.

Water was her response. Once it stopped, the girl brushed her wet hair out of her face to see the woman holding her showerhead up.

"Hmm… No."

* * *

What happened next could only be described by one word. Insanity. Water flying everywhere, soap splattering all over the walls and all in all, a mess neither of them would look forward to cleaning up. Luckily, Tayuya didn't live there. Though, after that experience, she wouldn't mind too much. Yeah, the woman was insane and she'd probably hate every minute of it but at the same it… It was almost the complete opposite of being with Orochimaru. Despite the harsh training, she always got a warm feeling from the woman. She wasn't boring to say the least and the night before wasn't all bad. In fact, it was actually kind of… fun. You know, aside from the Sasuke comments.

The girl rose from the bed, full of energy and life. Why did the usually gloom and rude Tayuya up in a good mood?

_Yes! Stayed six days and I'm gonna get my flute!_ This time, she was bouncing around. She could almost feel the metal in her hand, her fingers dancing over the holes and music flowing out.

Excitedly, the girl decided to wear the clothes set out for her instead of her own. She skipped into the main room, gaining her composure before entering the kitchen.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" She was greeted by the voice of her teacher. "Had an interesting dream about Sasuke-kun?"

The girl's cheeks lit up at the words, the wrong images coming into her head at the comment. "Wh-What? Hell no!" The girl yelled, trying to stop her blush from get out of control. "I'm getting my flute today!"

At this, the woman's face got a bit more serious. "What?"

"Ha! You didn't even notice, huh? I stayed my time, so you owe me!" The girl said proudly, puffing out her chest.

Putting her chopsticks down, the woman ran a hand through her hair. "Well what'd you know, you actually stayed. I figured I still had a few more days to break you."

"Haha! No chance! Now fork it over!"

"Hold ya horses. Sheesh, at least eat first." The woman motioned for the girl to sit down.

_One more breakfast couldn't hurt._ Shrugging, she agreed with her thoughts and sat down to eat.

The two ate in silence, though the girl couldn't care less. She was finally within arms length of her lifetime love and she wouldn't start any useless conversation when she would get it anyway. The woman finished first, but waited for her. Once she was done, she looked at the woman, anxiousness leaking from the girl.

The woman sighed, catching onto the redhead. "Fine, fine. Close your eyes."

"…Why…?" She couldn't honestly expect her to be able to sit still and close her eyes. This was one of the few things which could motivate the girl to this extent and it was hard enough for her not to leap around the room like a caffeinated monkey. Still, a few seconds with her eyes closed wouldn't be hard, right? The girl's eyes closed, something which used a bit of self control.

For a few moments, nothing came. She just sat, quietly, waiting to be told to open her eyes. She just sat and waited, and waited, and waited…

**Bam!**

She didn't even notice when her body moved, though the noise snapped her eyes open. The woman's fist was where she sat, obviously not just resting there.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tayuya yelled, stumbling onto her feet.

Slowly rising, the woman glared at the girl as she began talking. "Oh, did I forget to mention? To test to see if you learned anything, you're going to do one last thing." She paused, letting some of her killer intent spill into the air. "Kill me."

Those two words made the girl's blood freeze. Kill. Images for her nightmare came back, the blood, the look the dead man's eyes gave her. Her stomach began churning, her legs became weak and her head was spinning.

The woman lunged at her, fists swinging dangerously. Barely summoning the strength, the girl dived out of the kitchen, rolling onto her feet.

Her legs lost more strength as she landed. She taught her to roll, she taught her everything she knew. Now she had to kill her. Her eyes went down to her hands, only to see them shaking madly.

_No… No… It can't be… It can't be… _The girl thought, dodging the woman's fist. _Why is this happening to me…?_

"Why are you running?" The woman called out. "Haven't you done this sort of thing before?"

Her hand rushed up to her mouth, barely stopping her breakfast from ending up on the floor. She felt so weak now. At the same time… Did she want to kill her? Even though she barely knew the woman, she felt close to her. The thought of killing her, ending the life of one of the few people to make a positive impression on her…

_No…_

She just couldn't do it. If she did, how different would she be from a monster? From some kind of demon? From… Orochimaru?

She leapt to the side, dodging one of the woman's punches, only to barely block an incoming kick. "Why… Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to me!" She almost cried, barely being able to keep the tears in.

Emotionlessly, the woman spoke through attacks. "If you can't kill me, you'll never be strong. You'll always be weak and pathetic! So stop running and fight me! Prove to me that you truly are strong!"

_Strong… Strong…_ The words have been going through the girl's head ever since the woman spoke to her. Did she really want to be strong so much? Was the key to strength killing people? Using them like this, learning from them and then just ending their life? No matter how much they meant, how close the two of you got?

She dodged some more of the blows, before stopping altogether. Once stopping, the girl stretched her arms out and closed her eyes. She could hear the fist approaching, rushing to her face…

"Why did you stop?" The woman said. "Giving up your life?"

"Yes…" The girl responded quietly. "If you're going to kill me, just do it and get it over with."

The woman remained silent for a short time, until speaking up again. "What's wrong? Don't you want to be strong? Don't you want _power_?"

After a deep breath, the girl finally spoke. "If this is how I have to get strong, if this is the only way to strength… Let me a die a weak piece of shit. I… I just can't do it. I can't just kill someone like that…"

The words seemed to linger in the air, making the girl tense. She mentally sent a few words to Kami-sama, preparing herself to finally end up in hell.

Suddenly, arms grasped around the girl, pulling her tightly to the chest of the woman.

"… I'm so glad that you passed…"

**

* * *

Yeah, a long ass chapter like this to end in such a way. I just hope nothing seems rushed or anything. Sigh, this single punctuation mark after words thing on FF is starting to get to me... If it was two, that would be fine but only one?  
**

_**Tsumi: Checkmate in Shogi**_

_**Gaki: Brat**_

_**Kaa-san: Mom**_

**Just put those there in case any of you were wondering. Any feedback welcome.  
**


	9. New Self

**Thanks for the feedback! I'm trying to keep on a schedule, something around a chapter a month, so that by December when the fic reaches one year old, it'll have at least twelve chapters. Well, it's a hope.**

**

* * *

Chapter 9: New Self

* * *

**

"I'm so glad you passed." The woman whispered with her arms wrapped around the redhead.

The girl didn't move, she didn't even breathe. All she was expecting was pain, pain to rock her body as a fist crushed her chest, pain of a blade piercing her body, just some kind of pain. However, it never came. All she felt was the warmth from the woman, covering her body.

"…What…?" She softly said, bewildered.

"I said…" The woman said, pushing Tayuya away from her. She looked into the girl's brown eyes, speaking up. "You passed. What I just did was a test."

At first, the girl still didn't want to move. She was expecting 'Just kidding' and for her life to finally end. When that didn't come, the next best thing did. "A test…? A freaking test?" She yelled, fists balling. "Do you have any idea what you just did to me? Was I really just some kind of toy to you, for you to use as you see fit?"

The woman sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "This wasn't a freaking cakewalk for me either gaki!" The girl stiffened as she said that. "You think I wanted to do this? I saw the look in your eyes when I attacked you. You really did give up, you really were broken for a moment there. But, it needed to be done."

"Needed to be done! What the hell does that even mean? Even though it was just a damn week, you should at least know me by now!" The girl yelled, he voice going louder and louder.

"That was something you could have faked. Plus, I needed to see something. I needed to see if you were ready."

"Ready…?" The girl's eyebrow rose, her attention gained.

"Ready for the new you." She said, the girl stiffening again. It was true, she was in a battle with her old self. The now burning curse mark on the back of her neck was testament to that. "If you fought back, I would have killed you. As much as I wouldn't have liked it, I would have had to do it. It would have shown that you were still tied to your past self and couldn't let go. But, you're ready now." She stepped forward, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You have the resolve. You can do it, you can change your life for the better."

Something in the woman's words, something in her voice seemed to reach out to the redhead. She felt stronger, more determined. She didn't feel alone anymore. She actually… believed it.

The girl nodded. "No way in hell I'll do otherwise."

Grinning, the woman pushed the girl. "Good, now let's give you one last course." Her fists came up. "Let's go."

With a grin of her own, Tayuya put her guard up. Why was she so excited all of a sudden, why did she want to learn from this woman so much? All these things didn't seem to matter anymore. All that did was that she learned.

"Use the water exercise. Don't put any fire chakra though, just normal." The woman ordered, rushing towards the girl.

Nodding, the girl sent the chakra through her body, rushing forward as well. The woman sent a straight punch, well aimed for the chest. Sliding to the side, Tayuya dodged, launching a kick instead. It wasn't going to be that easy, as the woman skilfully caught the foot and delivered a thrust kick to the redhead's chest. Luckily, her hands were waiting, blocking the kick from making direct contact.

Skidding back, Tayuya smirked as she recovered. Damn, when did losing get so fun?

"Saw that?"

The girl stopped, letting what just happened sink in. She got kicked, skidded back, got up… It clicked. She looked at her arms, the pain which last time would have been coursing through them wasn't. Or, not as badly. Also, she didn't go as far as before. She still went quite a distance, but that was something for another day.

"Heh, so you figured it out."

"I'm using chakra to enhance my body." The girl said, looking at her arms. "I'm taking less damage from your attacks."

"So you actually have a working brain on those shoulders." The woman taunted. Her hand rose, beckoning the girl to come. "Now let's see how the combat part of it is."

She rushed forward again, flipping over the girl. She spun around, a roundhouse kick spinning along with her. Tayuya leaned back, dodging the kick before pushing the leg aside and rushing in. Two punches were aimed for the woman's body, the woman blocking both and pushing the girl off. The woman came in again, this time scoring a punch directly in the face. Tayuya flew across the wooden floor, flipping before landing.

_Focus… Calm down… Calm…_ She breathed a bit, controlling herself. The woman seemed to notice.

"Whoa, whoa. What the hell was that?" She said, coming out of her stance.

"What?"

"That breathing thing. What the hell are you doing?" She pointed at the girl a bit aggravated.

"I'm just controlling my temper. You said that I lose it when I get heated." The girl answered, raising an eyebrow.

Hands quickly came up, shaking as the woman spoke. "No! I never said that! I said when you get _mad_. You're a heated person, so let that heat spill into your fighting. Just don't let it get out of control and never go berserk."

The redhead nodded, making a mental note for the next time she got into a real fight.

"Well, you're supposed to be on your way already so I'll have to cut this short." The woman made her way past the redhead towards the kitchen. "You'll have to progress on your own, but you should be able to do it."

The sound of moving objects echoed through the house. It didn't take long for her to reappear, only this time she had something in her hands. The case was completely black and stretched past her shoulders. Tayuya's eyes widened as she realized what it was.

The woman stopped in front of her, smiling. By now, the girl was shaking in anticipation. Her eyes stayed glued to the box as it opened, revealing a sparkling silver flute. Lines and designs decorated the sides, dancing and swirling down the flute. "Stop drooling."

Although her mouth closed, she couldn't help but do it. It was her life passion, it was her soul mate. Despite it not being too long, she had missed it dearly.

"Catalytic." She started. "The Catalytic flute. Like your _former flute_, the Demonic Flute, this isn't an ordinary flute. But, it's always for fun to learn on your own what I mean." The girl's eyes scanned the flute, as if she was looking at a nice boy or something. "Run to him." The woman taunted, earning her a stern glare from the redhead.

Slowly, the girl's hand reached forward. It was a bit reluctant, expecting the box to come down or the woman turn around or something. But, it never came. Her fingers metal the cool metal, goosebumps running up her arms as it did. They curled around it, clenching it carefully. With abated breath, the girl slowly lifted it out of the case and held it up.

Abandoning all caution, she pulled the flute into her body, hugging it tightly. Even she couldn't help but give a soft squeal as she tightened her hold on it. She didn't even seem to notice when the woman placed a strap onto her leg for it, still hugging the flute.

"Now get lost, lest you try to hug me or something." With that, the touching moment was broken. The girl slipped the flute into the strap, fastening it.

The two walked over the gate, stopping in front.

The redhead looked around, scratching her arm. "Um… Listen up, ok! I'm not good at this kind of thing."

"Ah shut up." The woman waved her off. "Neither am I. Now just get lost already, you've cut into my sleep way too much."

Tayuya turned, ready to go.

Without warning, she swung back around, throwing her arms around the woman. At first she flinched, but she returned it, patting the girl's head.

"… Thanks…"

"Don't mention it."

Letting go, the girl turned and started making her way back.

"Hey! Don't break it, ok! I put a lot of blood and sweat into that! And make sure you give Sasuke-kun a big kiss for me!"

She groaned. Damn, she can be so annoying sometimes!

"And Tayuya! Make sure you kick Orochimaru's ass extra hard for me!"

Suddenly, the girl stopped. She spun around, looking back at the house.

Closed.

_Just a moment ago, she called me Tayuya… But I never told her my name…_

* * *

She arrived just in time to see Sasuke come out of the blacksmith's house. He had a few bandages on his hands, but aside from the he looked normal. The more striking change was the addition of a long, purple piece of wood on his back.

Sasuke noticed the girl quickly, his head turning to her. His inner mind immediately went off once he saw her. Mentally, he really thought that she bolted. Half his mind gave a slight sigh of relief, while the rest snarled. However, the whole thing wooed as the girl came closer.

She didn't run, she trained. Her armed were bound, as well as parts of her body and legs. Also, she also gained some new equipment. A smirk couldn't help but surface as he saw the flute strapped to her leg. Her clothes had changed, they were a bit more showy yet practical. Even the air around felt different, stronger, more confident. It seemed like the difficult girl just got interesting.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She spat, snarling at the boy.

Very interesting.

"So, we getting out of here or what?" The redhead said, leaning on a tree.

"I hope so." The old man stepped out of her gate, dusting his hands off. "I'm tired of doing work for Orochimaru, he never pays enough."

"Tell me about it." The girl muttered.

Motioning with his hand, Sasuke began walking away. The girl quickly followed, giving a small gesture to the old man before leaving as well.

Sighing, the man went back inside his house. "Seems like Orochimaru has some bad lackeys. The scroll said to kill me once I was done."

* * *

"… What did you do…?" Suddenly came from ahead of the girl.

The trip was mostly silent, so the break caught the girl off guard. _Why the hell does he care?_

"Why don't I just kick your ass and you'll find out." She smirked.

To her surprise, the boy turned around, smirking. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

Her eyes widened a bit. _Is he…? No, there's way he is… _"Why don't we stop and find out?"

The boy dropped out of the forest canopy, leaving the girl in awe behind him.

_I didn't think he was serious… but I'm still going for it!_ She dropped down too, landing in front of the boy.

The area they landed in wasn't very large. Trees boarded the sides, creating a small ring around them. The grass was low, deprived of sun by the larger trees. The area itself wasn't more than a few feet wide and had more length than width.

The two gave each other distance, their battle stances coming up.

Sasuke's eyes analyzed the girl's own quickly. It was a large improvement over the last one she had. It was more stable, yet flexible and flowing. …_I'll have to be more serious than last time…_He thought, flexing his muscles.

He wasn't the only one analysing. After fighting with the woman, her notice of fist to fist combat became better. She was beginning to notice the specialties of his stance, the way it allowed for fast movement, quick punches and jumps. _This should be interesting._ "Do you want your ass handed to you now, or later?"

Smirking, the boy took the lead. He rushed up to the girl, something she remembered from the glimpse of the boy's training she saw. He was quick, so quick that she barely noticed when he appeared in front of her. With a punch.

Her arms came up quickly, blocking the punch barely. She still moved back, a bit surprised at his increase in strength.

"What were you saying?" He mocked, standing up straight.

Putting her block down, the girl chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm just getting started."

The boy went on the offensive again. This time, Tayuya was ready. Her guard came up, her eyes quickly following the boy's body as it narrowed. As he came within range, he stopped, using the excess force to spin around with a kick. The boy's eyes widened as he saw what happened next. The kick seemed to phase through the girl, before a kick of her own slammed into his mid-section. He flipped over, recovering mid-air but still holding his stomach.

_What the hell…? She wasn't this strong before…!_ He thought, looking back up at the girl. The kick itself wasn't that hard, but rather Sasuke was unprepared. He hadn't expected her to dodge like that, nor did he expect the kick. _Maybe I should… No, I need not use it on her._

"What's wrong? Didn't think I was so strong…?" She taunted, leaning forward. "Why don't you come again so that I can make sure you weren't dreaming?"

The Uchiha's mind was working, trying to figure out her trick. What was up with that movement?

_Shit, he's using me to stall while he thinks._ The girl noticed, it having been done to her before. She rushed the boy, swerving as she ran.

His block came up, ready for whatever she threw. However, she didn't go on the offence. Once Tayuya was in range, the boy threw a fast jab, sending the girl to a halt to stop. From that, he spun with a backfist aimed for the head. Again, the fist seemed to pass through her, the girl swerving around it and throwing a punch at his head. The boy leapt backwards to dodge, a smirk coming on his face as he did.

_He got it…_ The girl thought, looking at the boy. _I'm going to have to go all out it seems._ Her fingers tingled, her hands slowly moving for the strap on her leg. _No, I can't use it yet. It'd be bad if I showed him everything I was capable of._

Neither of them wanting the other to think too much, they rushed at each other. Sasuke threw a swift kick to the side. The girl swerved around it once more, moving in for a punch. A smirk appeared on the boy's face as that happened, causing one of the girl's eyebrows to rise. Without warning, a thrust kick burst from the boy. The girl's punch barely had time to turn to a cross block, her arms and chest still feeling the pain despite that. However, it still wasn't over. The block changed to a grip, the boy's leg trapped in the girl's arms. In a split second, the boy changed from steady on the ground to spinning. In the next one, he was airborne.

The tree behind rushed up, and apparently it wasn't the only thing. The girl flew after him, her fists ready to strike. Sasuke hit the tree, his foot coming into contact first. The girl was next, slamming her fist into his chest, chakra flowing through it.

Or, at least where he was.

The boy vanished, the fists crashing into the tree instead. A loud cracking sound filled the air for a few moments, before the girl turned to face boy. He couldn't help but notice the small crack left in the tree from the punch.

The girl turned, her mind racing madly. This fight, this sensation… Her blood was boiling, her heart beating wildly with a heat building inside. Her whole soul felt like it was on fire at this time, her body light yet her head at ease. She never felt anything like it. It was almost as good as getting her flute back, the sweetness in the feeling. The woman was right; she was hotblooded and was she a fool to think that she could contain it.

"I know your trick." The boy said proudly. "You're barely dodging, stepping just out of my range and using your hands to guide the attack and push it away."

Smirking, the girl retorted. "Yeah, so what? Just shut up and fight!"

Chuckling, the boy nodded, rushing in again. He too was feeling the fight. It wasn't as painful as fights had become these days. It was exciting, thrilling, blood pumping… Fun. He was actually enjoying the stalemate between the two.

The pair rushed each other again. Sasuke moved first, swinging a fist at the girl's head. She swerved around, throwing a backfist. The Uchiha's punch quickly turned to a block, stopping the backfist inches from his face. Swinging her foot around, the girl sent a roundhouse kick into the boy's stomach. He blocked it easily, smirking at the girl.

Suddenly, both their heads turned, something feeling wrong.

"You feel it too?" She muttered softly.

"No." He said, still looking. "I thought I saw something."

**Fwap!**

The two split up, two figures suddenly where they stood. Each stood up straight, one facing Tayuya and the other Sasuke. Tayuya's own was unarmed where a pair of long, tattered brown pants and a short sleeved shirt. The other was dressed similarly, except a large sword decorated his back.

"What luck for us to find you out here." The one facing Tayuya said, a confident smirk on his face. "Especially without your three other lackeys, but just one."

The girl's eye narrowed on the man, trying to add a name to the face. "Tsk… What a bad time for my past to catch up on me…" She looked over the man. "Ne, Sasuke_-kun _? Just as I was about to kick your ass."

The boy could only shake his head and smirk. "Just don't die."

"We can't guarantee that." The two attackers said, rushing up to their opponents.

"Who the hell was talking to you?"

**Bam!**

An elbow rammed into the man's face, taking him down to the ground. Smoke filled the air as he hit, the girl spinning around just in time to block a punch to her head.

As soon as the man landed, he spun around with a kick. His eyes widened as he saw it seem to go through the girl, before she moved in with a punch of her own.

**Bam!**

He flipped mid-air, clutching his nose as he landed.

"Damn it… You're not supposed to know how to fight like this…" He growled, glaring daggers at the girl.

This earned him a smirk, as the girl placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Well, seems like your information's old. Let me show you just _how_ old."

Sasuke was dealing well with his opponent. The man had skill, but was going about it all wrong. Without his sharingan on, the boy was easily dodging the man's wide swings.

The boy leapt back, dodging another slash. The other man grinded his teeth as he moved. "Stop running so much! What are you, afraid of getting cut?"

"… Hn…"

The man took another swing. Once again, the boy moved back, dodging the blade. However, that wasn't all. Once the blade passed, he rushed in with his elbow out and his fist retracted.

**Bam!**

The fist connected with the swordsman's face, sending him spinning off into the ground. At the same time, the other man slammed into the other one, thrown by a kick from Tayuya. The two growled, looking at each other before leaping back into the fray.

The man began to barrage the girl, throwing a surge of punches at the girl's head and chest. She resorted to blocking the attacks instead, looking and waiting. Seeing the girl's lack of offense, he came on stronger and faster, starting to throw punches too.

_I can't keep this up forever…_ The girl thought, blocking another kick. _And it doesn't seem I can stop this either… Looks like there's only one way…_

The girl continued to block the punches, still waiting. The man threw a fast kick, aimed well for the head. The girl blocked, pushing the leg to the side and rushing in. The man smirked, sending a punch of his own, expecting the girl to dodge or block. Except, she didn't. She took the punch, sending one of her own drilling into the man's chest.

Both of them flew back, the man going considerably further. The girl laughed as she looked at the man. "I thought you said something about killing me?"

The man looked up and glared. "I will."

He rushed in again, this time his moves were different. They were faster, stronger and yet at the same time weaker.

_Rage…_ The girl thought, her eyes widening as she saw him approach. _Is that really what I looked like when I lost it…?_

He came up with a firm punch, something that the girl couldn't block properly. It sent her flying back, though she didn't hit what she expected. Instead of a tree, she felt a human body.

"Watch where you're throwing that bitch around!" The swordsman growled, barely dodging a punch from Sasuke.

"Just shut the hell up and kill that brat already!" The first man yelled back.

_They're not even cooperating…_ The girl thought, jumping back at the man.

She went with a swift jab, hitting the man square in the face. However, instead of moving back he only pushed forward, securing a strong kick to the girl's midsection.

Pain coursing through her body, she stood up again, arms up. _Stand up… This is nothing compared to the woman's fist._

The barrage continued, with the man going forward haphazard with his attacks and the girl resorting to only blocking. Pain began going through her body, her arms getting weaker and her block following suit. Meanwhile, all the man did was laugh evilly as he continued attacking, completely wrapped up in his attacks.

"What's wrong? Weren't you going to stop me?" He taunted, beating down more and more. "I thought you were going to beat me! Why aren't you attacking? Can't do anything without your lackeys to protect you?"

The girl's teeth grinded as she continued blocking. _Damn it… I can't keep this up… I'll need to make the next one I do count._

The man came again, his fists ready to strike.

**Bam!**

Luckily, the girl wasn't aiming for there. She swept his foot as he stepped, throwing him off his feet. The end was still to come, as she used this chance to rush up and slam an elbow into his chest. Using the momentum, she spun with the elbow, giving one final punch to the man's chest.

The man flipped, wrecking painfully into the ground and rolling to a stop. Slowly, he got up, a mad laugh coming out. "I won't stop! I'll kill you! _I'll kill you_!"

A pit formed in the girl's stomach, her eyes widening and her hands began to shake. The man seemed to mad, so crazed in the idea of killing her, she couldn't help but be freaked. What made it worse was… he reminded her of herself.

Suddenly, Sasuke appeared behind the man and disappeared. The girl's heart skipped a beat as she saw that, words flying out of her mouth before she could even think. "Baka! Move!"

It was too late.

Red over took everything as silver pierced through the man's mid section. It sprayed everywhere, flying out from the man and some even landed on the girl. All she could do is stand and watch as the man's body slid apart, the upper body falling first. Her eyes followed it, stuck on the man's eyes. They slowly turned lifeless, though they seemed to be stuck on her as well. As he hit the floor, his hand reached forward, one last sentence leaving his lips.

"…See you… in… hell…"

The words rocked the girl, her body slumping to her knees as she stared at the blood leaking from the body.

"Tsk, baka got in my way." The swordsman said, looking at the mess. "Though I planned on killing him anyway, I hoped he could at least end your life first."

That was it; the girl's stomach could take no more. She leaned over, her breakfast pouring out onto the forest floor.

While she did, the only other sound to come from the area was the sound of chirping birds.

* * *

The two left the area quickly, the girl barely able to keep on her feet and keep anything down. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was shaken. What really was worrying was that Sasuke noticed.

They stopped at the nearest river, the girl immediately throwing her clothes off and sinking into its depths. She didn't even seem to care that the boy saw her strip down to her underwear, she didn't seem to care that he was looking; all she wanted to do was get in the water and wash herself off.

Sasuke looked on as the girl rubbed her arms, legs and stomach madly, trying to remove the blood.

**You should not care. In fact, you should just leave her. Orochimaru would have more time to train you, making you stronger.**

The boy paid no attention to the voice, only looking at the girl move more and more. What really had him was the look on her face. The look hadn't left her from the time she saw the body. She looked hollowfied, her eyes looking like they weren't looking at the world, but the devil himself. The look of seeing your worse nightmare come to life, stare you down and come nest to you.

…The look of seeing your family dead in front of you…

Although the blood was long gone, she still scrubbed. Her eyes looking over her body countless times, as if more would suddenly appear of she stopped. It always seemed like it would.

After placing her clothes to dry, he turned to the girl. "Stop. There's none left."

Her voice came out shakily, her eyes not even leaving her body as she responded. "No… There's still some left. _I can feel it_."

He came closer. The sight of her like this sickened him. The strong, fierce, hotheaded girl stood before him broken and weak. He couldn't stand the man who did it, he couldn't stand the sword. He couldn't stand the world for letting it happen.

He couldn't stand himself for not stopping him.

The girl's arms moved again, the scrubbing continuing.

Suddenly, they stopped. The found themselves bound to her body, another set of arms holding them down.

"Stop. There isn't any left." He whispered into the girl's ear, pulling her tighter.

In the water stood Sasuke, donning only his boxers also as he stood behind the girl.

"But… But…" Her eyes went to the water, watching the last few traced of red get washed down by the current.

This was getting to get… hard. He wasn't used to this kind of contact. His body longed to push her away, to run away. Though, at the same time… "… It's alright…" He said softly, the right works becoming harder and harder to find.

Slowly, the girl turned around, her arms slowly moving onto his chest. He could feel liquid dripping down his chest as she spoke. "The blood… It won't stop… Why is there so much blood…?"

He pulled her tighter, one of his hands holding her head. "… I won't say something insensitive like 'talk to me'. Whenever you're ready, you'll tell me. Until then... let me share in your pain..."

* * *

He hated the way she cursed to much. He hated her overconfidence and difficult ways. Yet, they were so alike. She seemed to know the pain he felt, she seemed to know what it felt like to have the whole world against her.

His inner Uchiha was furious. It wouldn't stand for this, denouncing the boy for trying to dirty their name, for wasting his time on a useless girl who wouldn't bring him any closer to his revenge. Yet, all he could do was stand with her, listening to her sobs and gently (or at least so he hoped) stroking her hair. For once, he was throwing his Uchiha name to the wind. Now, he was just Sasuke. The Sasuke which hated and liked the loud, foulmouthed girl. The Sasuke who hated to see her in the state she was in.

Day turned to night, the girl slowly regaining some of her composure as time passed. The eventually migrated out of the water, the boy making a small fire to keep them company during the night.

He sat next to her, ready and waiting. If she needed a shoulder, she'd get one. If she needed a fish, he'd swim into the river for her. He would be there for her, even if it was for just one day, he would be there.

Slowly, life began to come back into her eyes, though they still held some lifeless in them.

"…Why…?" She finally started talking again. "…Why are you helping me…? What do you want…?"

Grunting, the boy looked her dead in the eye. "Nothing." He suddenly turned his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. "It just wasn't part of the mission to let you stay like that."

For a few moments the girl stayed still, looking at the boy. Her lips curled up into a soft smile, her head finding its place on his chest. "… Thanks…"

Ok, so maybe seeing her like this wasn't all bad…

* * *

Light flooded the girl's vision as she yawned. Her dream that night was… odd. Sasuke was in it, though she'd prefer not say how… From the day before, even she couldn't deny that she felt _something_ and apparently, that _something _was sneaking its way into her dreams.

"You have a cute moan."

The girl's cheeks lit up as a voice suddenly spoke to her, her body stiffening as feeling came to her. She could feel something warm around her, especially her waist. She quickly bolted to her feet, turning to see a certain someone lying down quite comfortably where she once was.

"What hell do you think you're doing sleeping with me?" She yelled, her face turning even redder as she realized what she just said.

Slowly, the boy got up also and looked across the river. "… Hn…"

The girl growled as he did that, her blood beginning to boil. "Why the hell'd you even comfort—err, try to comfort me yesterday anyway?"

Shrugging, the boy looked around for his clothes. "You being mentally unstable wasn't part of the mission." He responded, spotting them near a bush.

"Ah shut up." The girl leaned forward, exposing some of her cleavage. "I know you'd just hate to lose your jerking material."

The boy's cheeks changed colour, his head spinning quickly to try and hide it. _Damn it… I should have seen that coming… How'd I let that catch me off guard?_ He composed himself, looking back at the girl. _At least I know she's back._

Walking passed him, the girl swayed her hips playfully. "I hope you know that you can only have this in your dreams."

**Smack!**

_Oh my…_

"We'll see."

The girl's cheeks matched her hair as the boy walked away, leaving a giggling butt in his wake.

* * *

The girl decided to keep her clothes, despite them becoming somewhat of a dual edged sword. They left the campsite, neither talking needlessly. As they moved along, some was odd. The trees were thinning out greatly, more and more, though the amount of grass was still low. To make matters worse, they weren't even going over flat land again. The ground was beginning to rise and fall, telling her one thing.

They were on their way to the Kumogakure Base. Or rather, the base near Kumogakure. It wasn't within the village itself, but bordered the Land of Lightning. The sudden change in base surprised the girl. Though it was well known that once a member of Otogakure you weren't supposed to get too comfortable in one place, they only moved for special reasons. One was Orochimaru's paranoia, another was close to being found by a not so friendly village (yeah, basically all) but what else could do it.

"Duck ass…" She muttered, almost smacking herself for not recognizing it earlier.

The Land of Lightning was known for three things. Mountains, Lightning and Swords. Two of which were the duck's weapons of choice. It made sense why he would move, after all the man was still going through the honeymoon stage with his new toy. That and the boy wasted Raition chakra like there was no tomorrow. Even Tayuya could feel the waste when he did a Chidori.

"I'm surprised you're not in awe. Not many people can enter a new land without noticing the change in scenery." She spoke out to the boy, her mind itself not really knowing why.

"… Hn…" He gave a look back, before focusing on the way again. This earned him a glare from the girl. "The mission comes first."

Sighing, the girl continued. "You're such a prick." _Why do I care? I could have told him that in my sleep!_

The two stopped in front of a hill. In this hill was a small, unsuspecting cave. It seemed like the kind a wild animal would make to nest its children or pregnant mate. If only it was so innocent. After taking a quick look around Sasuke entered the cave, the redhead carelessly following him inside. They went down passed the light, the boy's hand trailing along the wall of the cave. Before long, he came to a stop, his hand moving slightly.

The darkness slowly faded back to a faint light. The wall next to the Uchiha moved to the side, revealing a familiar orange pattern. The two walked in, the wall grinding back to place behind them. They took a couple of steps, before the wall next to Sasuke grinded open, two eyes peering out from inside.

The boy threw the mission scroll inside, walking away without even waiting for a reply. Raising an eyebrow, the girl followed.

The Kumogakure base was quite different from the Otogakure one. The entire base was underground, going deeper and deeper down. Instead of a forest skyline, all you were greeted to was brown. Lights were made to simulate daytime and there were areas to a few 'general' areas but there were a few major differences. Space was tight. There was no useless space. If you wanted to meet with someone, use a corridor or room. The mess hall was gone. It was replaced with a simple window, where you'd walk up, get your food and leave. Most ate in their rooms or some other area like that. Below that were the training floors. The areas were similar to the ones in the Otogakura base, though the terrain closer represented this land than Konoha. The lower floors were no man's land. Only Orochimaru, Kabuto and their close minions ever went lower. Why?

Hell.

The two walked through the corridors, a few others there was well. These however weren't meandering to their destination like before though. The base was more serious, even the vendors were sectioned off.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Tayuya." A voice called behind them. The girl peered over her shoulder to see a man dressed in his purple and grey uniform. "Orochimaru-sama calls. He is on the fourth floor office."

With that, the man was off. The two stopped walking, the boy turning to the girl.

She groaned, already knowing what he wanted. "Yeah, I know the way." She turned, going down on of the seemingly endless corridors. "But I'm giving you a grand tour! Get your ass lost like everyone else if you want to find your way!"

"…"

"Shut it."

"…"

"Not a word…"

"… Loser…"

The girl spun around, fists balled and shaking. "I said shut the hell up!" She turned again and continued walking.

"… We're lost…" Sasuke muttered, stepping next to the girl.

"No we're not!" The girl yelled, turning to face him. Their faces were close, so close that she could feel his breath blowing onto her face. "I know exactly where I am!"

"Then why haven't we reached there yet?" He retorted, looking around.

"We're taking the scenic route!" The girl said, turning and folding her arms.

"We're underground. There's nothing to see." Sasuke deadpanned, earning him a glare from the girl.

"Oh yeah! If you think I'm so lost, why don't you lead the way?" The redhead yelled, throwing her hands in the air. Damn it! She _hated_ that boy! He always felt he was right, he always had to try and show her up! She just couldn't stand him!

At the same time… he never treated her like just a teammate, like just another person under Orochimaru. He always treated her… like a girl, like Tayuya. And her cheeks couldn't help but darken as she remembered the stunt he pulled earlier.

"We're lost." The girl muttered.

"We haven't gone anywhere yet." The boy quickly retorted, annoyance lacing his voice. They walked down another corridor,

"We're lost." The girl said again, causing Sasuke's hand to twitch.

"We still haven't gone anywhere yet." The boy growled, turning to face the girl.

"Aha! So you see it isn't as easy as you thought!" The girl yelled, pointing a finger at him. "I knew where I was going! You obviously don't!"

The urge to rub his temples washed over the boy. Why did she always have to be so difficult? Why was he such an idiot for trying to help her? He should have known not to look a gift horse in the mouth!

"Sheesh, you guys sure are loud today." A voice said around the corner.

_Kill me now, lest I do it to him…_ Sasuke couldn't help but clench his fists as the brown haired boy rounded the corner, hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, baka!" The girl yelled, socking the boy in his arm. "I thought they would have left your dumb ass back at the other base!"

Chuckling, the boy scratched his head. "Actually… They almost did. I overslept on moving day and no one woke me up."

"Jackass." The girl said.

The black haired boy flinched a little, as he felt soft fingers grip his and pull him off to the left.

"Now if you excuse us, we have to get to Orochimaru."

A voice called out before the girl got too far. "Um…" She turned to see Akhito waving at her. "You're going the wrong way."

Her cheeks lit up in embarrassment and a smirk came over Sasuke's face. "Baka."

"Shut up!" She yelled, elbowing his side. She turned to the brown haired boy. "And how the hell are you so sure?"

He shoved a hand in his pockets, rummaging around in them for some time before grinning and pulling out a map. "Never leave my room without one!"

Grumbling, the girl dragged Sasuke back over to the boy, grabbing the map and glancing over it before stomping off.

"Wow, you two sure have gotten close."

The spun on their heels, yelling in unison. "No we haven't!"

"But Sasuke-san's talking so much with you now." This earned him a grunt from said boy. "Plus, you've been holding hands for a couple of minutes now."

Their eyes darted to their hands and it was true. The two pulled away, each holding their hand away from the other one.

"Shut up Akhito!" Tayuya yelled, her face turning red. "Don't you have something stupid to do?"

At the mention, the boy's eyes lit up. "Ah! Kabuto-sensei's class! I'm going to be late!" He gave a fast bow before running off. "Oh no… Kabuto-sensei hates latecomers…"

The girl growled, before turning and walking off with Sasuke following behind. Once they were out of earshot of the boy, he spoke. "You have soft hands."

"Shut up." The girl snapped, looking to the side. "Next time, don't try and make me feel better. Just take advantage of me and have sex, ok? At least then I'll have a reason to kill you afterwards."

**

* * *

Ah crap, I'm late. Though, it's only by one day I wish I would have gotten it on time. I actually rewrote the middle of this chapter, but I'm glad I did. I liked the sexiness going on between Sasuke and Tayuya. **

**In other news, my birthday's on the 5****th****. I'd love to update on my birthday, but I'm lost now for what exactly to do for the next chapter and it usually takes me a couple days or so to think things through.**

**As usual, any feedback is appreciated.**


	10. Ambitions

**OK, I won't lie, I've got no real direction for this chapter. The next one, however, is clear in my head. So, I'm just letting this one flow. **

**

* * *

Chapter 10: Ambitions

* * *

**

"I see your mission was a success Sasuke-kun." Slithered into the air.

The room was barely lit, except for two candles which illuminated a table. Behind this table sat a pale skinned man, his hair black and going well below his shoulders. A sinister feeling shrouded the man, as his snake-like eyes examined the boy. Aside from the man, not much was visible. The room was covered in an eerie darkness, with figures visible in the background but nothing distinct.

"Hn." The boy grunted, hands in his pockets. "Just hurry up and teach me how to use this thing. I don't like having things for decoration."

"Kukuku… Don't worry Sasuke-kun, you'll learn in due time." Orochimaru looked over his table. There were piles of scrolls, books and papers littering it. He examined it, looking for a scroll to give the boy to save him some time. It was then his eyes stumbled upon something. "What is that?"

Since the 'mission briefing' started, the snake had not once looked at Tayuya. In fact, he was slightly surprised she showed up. It didn't take a genius to see the tension between the two and since he was one, he picked it up before she even began to show it. However, she showed up. Though scowling, though silent, though not even making eye contact, she still showed up. Now, she wasn't even alone.

"Why the hell do you care?" She spat, glaring at the man.

He glared back, annoyance clearly visible in it. The girl's sudden extra hostility to him was getting on his nerves, something she could come to regret in a second. "Child, you are my subordinate. Answer me."

"Ok then." She said, her glare softening. "It's the duck's balls. You know, since he obviously doesn't have them after coming to you." Her glare returned, harder this time.

It took a good bit of control to stop the man from launching a kunai at the girl. It didn't stop him from making a handsign.

"Gah!" The girl cringed, pain rocking her body. Her legs lost their strength, buckling under her as her hands went to the back of her neck. Biting down a scream, the girl smirked and looked up at the man. "Wh-What's wrong? C-Can't do j-jack to me yourself s-so you're using that damn mark?"

The man's teeth began to grind. What was with the girl? Where did this resistance come from? Of course, she used to give a few wise cracks every now and then, but she was like a new person now. An annoying person now. It was as if she lived to opposed him now, not caring how much pain she endured as long as he had one more grey hair on his head.

"Gah!" The girl muttered again, clenching her neck tighter. _ Damn it… I'm not sure how much longer I can endure this…!_

The man was beginning to enjoy the sight. The girl, who was now beginning to make him dread even thinking about her, was on the floor, growling in pain. It was then, he noticed something. Sasuke was watching. Last time, he just stood by uncaringly. This time, though it was from the corner of his eye, he was looking at the girl. He also noticed the boys muscles starting to tense, his hands beginning to tighten.

The pain suddenly stopped, though her neck still felt tingly from the sensation.

"Get out. You're holding up my research."

Without a second thought, the boy was gone. He spun on his heel, moving out of the room quickly. Tayuya slowly got up, shooting the man a glare before leaving.

Slowly, a smirk came across the snake's face. "In due time… My plan will come to light."

* * *

The girl slowly walked down the halls, Sasuke walking right next to her. The clearer halls of the Kumogakure base were quite different from the one in the Land of Rice. People were barely seen and if you knew your way well enough, you could go forever without being seen.

The girl stopped, resting on a wall. Her breath was harsh and sweat was beginning to peek out from her forehead. "… Shit… That damn snake and his damn mark…" She hissed.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped itself around her waist. Her arm suddenly found itself wrapped around something as well, causing the girl to stiffen. She looked to see Sasuke's head right next to hers, the boy looking forward.

"Come on, let's go." He said, letting the girl lean on him.

Unfortunately, she resisted. "Let me go, ya freaking duck! I don't need your help!" She yelled, pushing the boy away.

He held onto her tightly, standing his ground. "Che, stop being difficult."

"I'm not being difficult!" She yelled back. "I just don't want your hands all over me!"

The boy gave a sigh, looking forward. "You're weak from your mark. I can't have a member of my team tired. You'll only be holding me back."

The girl scowled, turning her head. "I'm not being difficult!" She gave a little sigh, turning away so that her hair was blocking her face. "Fine! Let's go… Just don't the wrong idea just because I'm letting you hold me, ok!"

_Why the hell is he doing this? I don't want his help! _She turned her head slowly, her red hair hiding the slight pink creeping over her face. _But… His face is so close… I can smell him so well…_

They walked for a little while, the girl giving directions to the best of her memory. However…

"You're going to get us lost again." The boy deadpanned.

The girl growled, her fists tightening. "No. I. Won't! That was just a freak accident! I ain't a baka, I can remember where the room is!"

"Just like you remembered where Orochimaru was." He retorted, still holding the girl as he walked.

"Grr…" The girl snarled at him, waving her fist in the air. "One more wise crack, just give me one more! I'll beat the smug out of you so hard you won't even be able to spell the word!"

"Is that a threat or a promise?" The boy smirked.

"It'll be the future if you continue like this!" The girl yelled.

"I'm looking forward to it."

The girl chuckled, still leading the way. "Just give me a couple of minutes to rest. Then I'll show you."

The girl led him around another corner, before stopping in front of a wooden door. After a nod from the girl, he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was similar to the last one. Two beds, two dressers. Nothing more, nothing less. The only main difference was the size. This time, the room was considerably smaller than before but it was still enough.

"Hm, I figured the snake would leave my half of the room dirty but I guess I was wrong." She moved to walk on her own, but Sasuke still held her and brought her over to a bed.

"I'm not an invalid! I can walk on my own you know!" The girl yelled. "Hey, are you listening to – Eii!"

A shriek escaped the girl's lips as she suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. Slowly, the boy picked her up and placed her on the bed.

"What the hell?" The girl yelled again, glaring at the boy. "Why the hell did you do that?"

The boy turned around, shoving his hands in his pockets. "In your condition, you would have probably fallen and broken your elbow."

"Go jump off a cliff." The girl spat, throwing a pillow at him. It hit him square on his head, but just dropped to the ground.

Sighing, the redhead lied down and stared at the ceiling. Even though it wasn't happening now, she knew her head was going to be exploding soon. After all the events, the training, the test, her spar, the enemies, the river and Kami alone knows what else, there was no way she could be merry-go-lucky about it. She was almost getting a headache just thinking about it. Damn, where was an aspirin when you needed it.

"Oh wait." Her hand reached down, opening the strap and touching the cool metal inside. Goosebumps rippled up her arm as she touched it, her heart racing in anticipation. "I can play again."

If it wasn't for her fatigue, she would have probably jumped for joy. Especially now, since there wasn't any idiot annoying the crap out of her or a kunai whizzing passed her face. It could just be her and her music, her audible soul.

She pulled out the flute, her fingers gripping it before bringing it to her lips. She did a quick exercise, running her fingers over the holes and playing a silent song. A sigh escaped her lips, the breath she was holding in finally finding its way out.

She brought the flute to her lips, blowing softly into the flute. Her heart skipped a bit when she heard a note come out.

_Wow… That woman really knows what she's about…_ She thought, looking down at the flute. _This sound could take me to heaven and back._

Flexing her fingers, she began with a slow scale, ensuring that she was still in touch with her inner musician. Once ready, she began playing one of the few non-jutsu songs she knew. The notes floated out sweetly, the sound started slow and calm but picked up. She continued playing softly, the melody filling up the room. All the while, her head began to clear as the song got stronger and stronger. The melody finished sweetly, the girl slowly lowering the flute from her lips as she finished.

"Damn… I'm rusty like shit." Tayuya muttered, taking a deep breath.

"You're good."

Red painted her cheeks as the voice rolled into the girl's ears. Her body flung up, her eyes shooting towards the figure standing in the doorway. "What the hell? Get lost!"

Sasuke leaned on the doorframe, his arms folded and head facing outside. "This is my room too."

"I don't give a rat's ass! Don't you have some training to kill yourself doing?" She yelled.

The boy grunted in return, staying silent for a few moments before speaking. "I'd be wasting my time… since I just get lost looking for the training room."

"Ha," The girl chuckled. "The big ego of the duck has taken a blow, admitting that he can't do everything. Oh well, do die from starvation while you get lost."

The boy paid no attention, walking back into the room and sitting on his bed. After removing his sandals, he lied on his bed.

Growling, the girl glared at the boy. "I _don't_ want you listening to me! Get the hell out!"

"… No…"

She growled, her hand beginning to hold the flute tighter and tighter. _No… Calm down… Don't let him invade on your time, just play. Let your music take you… just like back in the old days…_

She fell back down, bringing the flute up to her lips again. This time, the melody was a cheery one. The notes seemed to hold hands and swing in the air, uplifting the girl as she played. For a moment, she forgot. She forgot all her problems, all her headaches, all her heartaches. As the music took her, the whole itself seemed to fade away. She wasn't in some cave base, it wasn't a light bulb giving her sight.

She was in a field, the breeze gently blowing on her face. The grass swayed gracefully with the wind, tickling her legs as they moved. She could feel the warm rays of the sunset sun on her face, heating down to her already boiling soul.

The scenery slowly faded away however, as the song came to its end. A small smile rested on the girl's lips as she moved the flute.

"…Your music is sweet…" The voice spoke again, the girl's cheeks lighting up at the sudden praise. "…Unlike you… Unless…"

"Shut up!" The girl shouted throwing her other pillow at the boy. "I'm not flowers and butterflies on the inside! It's just…!" She paused, turning her head. "…My mother taught me those songs…"

The words seemed to thicken the air, the room becoming eerily silent afterwards.

"… They're… nice songs…"

"Bah, shut up. I don't need _your_ praise." The girl turned, her back now facing the boy. "Just let me play in peace… And give me back my pillow!"

* * *

Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. BORED!

Tayuya wondered the halls aimlessly, strolling through the endless maze of tunnels which made up the base. Yes, she had a new flute but… she felt like she needed to do something she wasn't. Even after playing the day away the day before, she still felt like she could play but…

"I want to train, damn it!"

She was just sitting, watching everyone get stronger. The duck was always training his ass off and even Akhito had something doing. She on the other hand… She couldn't go to Orochimaru and her affinity for healing techniques was near zero. She'd tried before…

"**Ok," A man said. **

**The entire crew, Sakon, Kidomaru, Jirobo and Tayuya was standing on a riverbank. In front of them was a young man, his hair short and white. His clothes were normal, nothing even remotely shinobi-like about them.**

"**Listen up, cause I don't want to take too long on this." The man looked around, before pulling a fish he caught out from behind him. "This fish is near death. All of you read the notes I gave you, right?"**

"**No."**

"**Yes. Is this the boss fight?"**

"**I was hungry."**

"**Skimmed through it."**

**The man smacked his face, shaking his head as he pulled it off. "Orochimaru's lucky I owe him one… Ok, the two of you who read it, come forward."**

**Kidomaru and Tayuya stepped forward. **

"**Using your knowledge of the notes, try to do what it says to the fish."**

**Kidomaru stepped up first. He rubbed his hands together, before placing them over the fish. Slowly, a slight green hue came over them and the fish. It flickered, struggling to stay on.**

"**This boss is hard…" He muttered.**

"**Next."**

**Tayuya then stepped up. She placed her arms over the fish and began to concentrate. Immediately, a steady green light covered her hands and the fish. Everyone took notice, all eyes on her and the fish.**

"… **Wait…"**

"**I know what I'm doing." She said firmly, pumping more chakra.**

"**No, I'm telling you…"**

"**I read the notes a few minutes ago." She said again. "I know what I'm doing."**

**The green light got brighter and brighter. Slowly, the fish began to move, squirming about.**

"**See dickface?"**

**Suddenly, the fish began to do more the squirm. It began to flip around, its tail slapping about madly.**

"**Stop! You need to stop!"**

**Boom!**

**Fish spewed everywhere, flying in the river and people's hair.**

"**What the hell?" The girl yelled, grabbing the man's shoulders. "What kind of trash fish did you get you old dickfaced man?"**

"**It's not the fish." The man deadpanned. "It's you. To be frank, your healing affinity is negative twenty three. You killed the fish the moment your chakra went through it, then you fried its insides and then exploded its organs. Any worse and you had might has well killed it as an egg."**

**The girl stared at him for a while, before shoving the man off. "Bah, who needs to heal anyway! Once I can kill for Orochimaru-sama, I have purpose."**

There was no need to lower the fish population any more. She wasn't too fond of the idea of playing in plain sight either. After all, you never knew when she'd need to disappear…

Finally, it struck her. When she wanted to disappear.

All this time, she kept saying that she had to make sure Orochimaru felt her foot up his ass before she left, but she never gave it too much more thought than that.

Her blood began pumping as the thought came to her mind. Immediately, she began rushing through the halls. She'd need some paper if she was going to start.

_Oh wait, no money._ She grunted. _Shit it, I'll just swipe some._

"Ok, time to put my wonderful brain to use…" The girl sat down on her bed, her newly sto- _acquired_ scrolls in front of her. Of course, actually _writing_ it down could be her downfall, but she couldn't possibly hope to remember every last detail off hand.

"Alright, first thing's first… Am I going to go alone…?" She scribbled on a scroll, writing her name before stopping. _Ah shit… Travelling alone is going to suck… _Immediately, a name came to mind. She clutched the pen tightly, beginning to lower it to the scroll.

_No… It won't happen._

She quickly scribbled another name. "Maybe I could keep him around as a punching bag or something…"

Something else then clicked. The man she saw in the jail cell, the one she helped catch. She told him she was going to save him, so she would. "But wait… If I'm going to do that… why shouldn't I try to save more?"

She quickly crossed off the names, writing down the names of bases instead of people. Using her memory of the bases, she jotted down some numbers.

"Ok, so if I brought in these many, I'll have to assume that at least half are dead and a quarter is beyond saving." She broke it down further.

As much as she hated to admit it, there was a point of no return. A failed experiment which cannot survive without certain conditions or an unstable experiment would be best left behind. After all, you'd just be doing more damage than good.

After the math, the numbers weren't too pretty. They were small, about the same amount that walked the halls. Usually, that would have been a good thing but Oto was still suffering from their failed attack on Konoha. Their numbers were sliced, diced, crushed them tossed aside. Orochimaru himself could probably stop more than half of them.

She paused, looking at the scroll. She taped the pen softly on it, her mind thinking. "This isn't good, nor is it much. I'll have to see what I can do…"

Maybe the games of shogi she played against the woman weren't so bad after all. Either that or she lost it.

Going deeper into the scroll, she began writing more and more thoughts and products of her brainstorms. Nothing made too little sense to be considered at this point. Next to each thought, she'd right down small notes about them. They were reminders, telling the girl what she would need or have to get in order to even consider the idea.

Time passed without her even knowing. She had almost filled up the scroll by the time she was done, writing and notes covering it.

Yawning, Tayuya got up and stretched. "That should be enough…" She mumbled, holding up the scroll. Her eyes rested on it, with one thought going through her head. "Now where am I going to stash this…? No way in hell I can just keep it lying around the place…"

She looked around, each place giving her an idea. _Not the dresser, too obvious. Somewhere in the bathroom? And chance the duck seeing it? I think not. _Her mind stopped, as she thought of him. _In fact, maybe I can use his closeness to my advantage._ She walked over to his bed, lifting up his mattress and placing the scroll open in the centre.

"He shouldn't notice it's there." She thought out loud. "The only downside is that if I need it again I'll have to wait until he's not there." She chuckled to herself as she walked out of the room. "Either that or I'll just kick his ass outside if I have to."

* * *

Once again, the girl found herself in the halls of the base. This time, her stomach was calling. Her hands in her pockets, she casually walked down a corridor. As she went further down the corridor a figure came into view.

The most distinct thing was a head of brown, bushy hair.

_Oh, it's the mophead… Wait, he's always jumping on me or something so…_ She took a short run up, gaining some speed before leaping into the air. _I'll return the favour!_ She stretched her leg, ready to kick.

"What now?"

The girl's eyes widened as she saw a hand catch her kick. Passed the brown hair, a pair of light yellow eyes glared at the girl. As he glared at her, a chill travelled down the girl's spine.

_Something… Something's different about him…_

As she landed, she glared back at him before shrugging. "If you're looking for Orochimaru you're going the wrong way." She pointed over her shoulder. "Four corridors down to your left."

The 'Akhito' growled. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you definitely aren't Akhito so I figured you probably beat up Akhito and did a _henge_." Her fists clenched as she spoke. "Although I feel like kicking your ass for some reason, I'll let you go if you kill the snake. After all, he's got so many enemies I'm not surprised this isn't a daily occurrence."

The person chuckled, shaking his head at the girl. "That's right, you don't know." He faced the girl fully, looking her dead serious in the eye. "My name is Rai. Akhito's brother."

"Brother…?" The redhead muttered, looking at the boy. "The mophead has a twin, huh?"

"Twin? If only it was so innocent." He turned, beginning to walk away. "We don't share the same face, we share the same body."

The girl's eyes widened, her arm quickly grabbing his shoulder. "Share the same body? Try making some freaking sense before I beat it into you!"

"Why didn't you just die in that forest?" He knocked her hand away, turning around. "Do you know how Orochimaru plans on gaining immortality?"

"Yeah, he takes over someone's body, transferring his soul or some crap like that." The girl's eyes began to widen as she finished the sentence. Her fists began trembling as her mind worked everything out. "You're not telling me…"

"Yes. We were his guinea pigs." Rai's fists clenched as he stopped walking. Anger began to radiate off him as he continued to speak. "He forced the jutsu onto my brother. And to make it worse, it was either get caught or lose my brother… Even though it was in the early stages, it worked."

Stepping forward, the girl didn't even bother looking around before speaking. "Well then, how would you like to kick some snake ass?"

Rai turned around, a small smirk on his face. "Did I just hear violence? Sounds interesting. Even though _you're_ planning it, I'm in."

The girl smirked. "Even though I can taste the resentment in your voice, I'm glad you joined me. Welcome to my revolution."

He turned around again, waving his hand. "Shut up about all this revolution nonsense. I just want some violence."

**

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**

**Phew... Almost didn't make my deadline for this chapter. ****I know this is shorter than usual and I know there was a long wait, but this chapter gave me a bit of trouble to get out. The next one is in my head already, so I'll get that one out faster. **


	11. Nyaa!

**Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate them. It seems like I really will reach my goal, but best not to jinx myself. **

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* * *

Chapter 11: Nyaa!

* * *

**

A vein appeared at the back of the girl's head. "Run that by me one more time…?"

"You cannot enter the training area without permission."

"That's what I thought you said…" She stayed silent, her hand coming to her chin as she stood in thought. Or so it seemed. "What the hell is up with that? What kind of jackass is that damn snake?"

The girl fumed in a semi-lit corridor. In front of her stood a man dressed fully in the Oto gear, his face blocked by his purple mask. Behind the man was a pair of large, metal doors. This was the entrance to the Kumogakure base's training grounds. Unlike the other bases, space there was limited so only one could have been built. And now apparently, you needed a reservation just to enter.

The girl smirked, visibly clenching her fist. "And what's stopping me from barging in?"

The man remained calm, stepping aside. "I am not here to stop you."

Blinking a few times, the redhead cast him a look before walking up to the door.

"Gah!"

Before her hand could even touch the handle, pain began to stab her neck. She staggered back, cursing as she held her mark. The door had a slight glow, marking covering it before fading away.

Tayuya scowled, looking at the door. "I suspected as much… Seal." Her eyes inspected the door, before stepping away. "Ok Doorman, if there's a seal on the door… How does he expect his own freaking units to keep in shape here!"

The man shook his head. "That's none of my concern."

Anger radiated off the girl as she heard the answer. Once again, the snake couldn't care less about his subordinates. He was finished with his toys and was ready to throw them away.

"Bah, whatever." She said, flinging her arm in the air before walking away.

_Damn it, can't even get some training done. This makes things more complicated if we stay here. _ She stuffed her hands into her pockets, groaning as she continued walking. _I need to stay in shape. Even though I'm not supposed to be a frontline fighter, I can't just forget about that._ She turned, continuing to walk.

The training ground was on BF2 and took up two whole floors. There was also something else which could do her some good for the time being. The library. The girl's slow walk broke into a jog as the idea came into her head. If she couldn't train her body, she'd train her mind. Or maybe even her chakra. If Orochimaru was good for one thing, it was gathering information. His life mission was to learn every jutsu in the work, so he had to have some scrolls she could get her hands on.

The jog broke out into a full on run as she darted to the library. To hell with jogging, she couldn't wait. Who knew what kind of ninjutsu the man had, just waiting to be learned and used against him? Maybe even some Genjutsu as well.

The girl skid around a corner, running passed a few other people on her way.

_It should be around here… Come on… Don't tell me that I forgot there too._ She continued running, her eyes scanning the area.

Something came into vision.

"Oh Kami no…"

A man, dressed fully in Oto attire stood in front of two doors _again_. He stood a lot more casually, whistling a catchy tune while looking around. He caught sight of the girl, raising an eyebrow as she run up to him.

"I'm going in." She said, moving to the door.

The man's arm came up, blocking her. "Whoa, no can do little miss."

_We're cleaning it up, it's messy, there's a huge freaking giant fighting robot inside, just anything except –_

"Permission needed."

Tayuya gave a very audible scream, her fists tightening and anger radiating off her as she glared at the man.

His hands came up defensively at the girl's reaction. "Hey, it's not my idea. This is Orochimaru-sama's personal library. All his 'special' files are here so he doesn't want anybody going through his stuff."

"What… the… HELL?" The redhead yelled, almost slamming her fist into the man. He in turn leaped back, his hands coming up to block himself. "Is there anything to do here?"

She began stomping away, fuming at the situation. Curses and insults spewed from her mouth as she made her way back to her room. Once she reached, she flung herself onto her bed, glaring furiously at the ceiling.

"I swear, if the mess hall requires '_permission_' I'm going to kick that snake's ass so hard he'll have to change bodies just for the pain to slightly go down!"

Though, no matter how much she glared and cursed, one thing still remained. She _needed_ something to do. There must be something to do in the damned base.

Wait.

The girl got up, her scowl slightly beginning to change. _If there's nothing inside the base… I'll just go outside!_ She sprung to her feet, almost ready to leave. _The only question is how…_ Her mind began working, a few plans coming to mind.

"No… That'll make a scene if I do that…" She mumbled to herself, thinking out loud.

"What will?" A voice suddenly said.

The girl flinched, her hand quickly reaching for her flute. That is, until she saw what the voice came from. "Nothing duckass."

The boy stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his body. He looked at the girl for a few seconds, before walking over to his dresser.

"Air ducts!" The girl blurted, the perfect idea coming to her head.

"You're… planning on leaving?" Sasuke turned around to look at the girl.

"None of your business." She glared at him as she said that. "You're just going to tell that freaking snake and get me in trouble."

He turned completely. "So you're not returning…?"

Before the girl could get an insult in, she noticed something. It wasn't anything near open, but there was a slight hint of something in his eyes. Loneliness. It rocked her, a sudden rush of emotion going through her as she saw.

_Why… Why am I noticing this…?_ The whole conversation stopped, the two just looking at each other. _And… why do I care…?_

She broke eye contact, turning her head completely. "N… No. I still have unfinished business here."

"… I'm coming too."

The girl's head spun back around. "What the hell? No! I don't want you following me around!"

"Someone with a reputation like yours will probably get into trouble." He smirked as the girl cringed. "You'll need someone to bail you out."

The girl smirked back. "Just you wait duckass! It'll be me who's bailing your ass out!"

* * *

The girl looked around, examining the corridors before walking down them. Behind her, Sasuke followed. They were dressed in their usual attire, except the boy opted for a long sleeved black shirt instead. So far, the way was completely clear. It was almost creepy how empty the halls of the Kumogakure base could be. As the two walked, the girl's eyes paid special attention to the tops of the walls.

_Ok, there shouldn't be many guards anywhere except the entrance so I don't really have to worry about being caught. _She took a quickly scan of the area, before continuing her mental notes. _Plus there's not much in this area, so there won't be many if any people here to see. Now all I need is a duct. Since we're close to the top, there shouldn't be any fans. But, key word is shouldn't._

She stopped, finally seeing the opening for one. "Ok duck, get going." He raised an eyebrow. "No way in hell I'm going after you! I don't want your eyes glued to my ass for Kami knows how long!"

The boy smirked, moving under the duct. "Why would I watch something so shapeless?"

The girl's face burst into a shade of red, her leg swinging a second too late. The boy was already in the duct, the grill which previously blocked it in his hand. He dropped it down, moving deeper into the cramped space. Tayuya followed, jumping into it but pausing before moving. Her body examined and made mental notes of the location, size and accessibility of the duct.

"Move it duckass! I don't like staring at your ass ya know!"

* * *

"Ah! Finally!"

The girl stretched as she stood in front of the air duct. She leaned back, letting the warm afternoon sun bathe her skin and the cool mountain breeze roll over her.

"I feel freer already!" She turned to the boy. "Now come on! Let's go!" And with those words she was off, heading in a random direction.

The boy followed, his hands in his pockets. "… Do you even know where we're going?"

"Nope!" She responded happily. She then turned, giving a rare smile. "But that's what makes it all the more fun!"

…_Fun…?_ The boy thought, following her.

* * *

The two walked for some time, before stumbling across a small town. It was perched near the base of a mountain, with a few trees in the area around it. The town itself seemed to be alive with people as some commotion could be heard even from a distance.

The girl smirked as she saw the settlement, her body turning around to Sasuke. "Looks like we found somewhere interesting!" She picked up her speed, turning from a walk to a slight jog.

The boy looked at her as she rushed to the town. _She seems more livelier now…_

"I'm not waiting for you if you fall behind!" She yelled, still heading for the town.

He sighed, shaking his head as he picked up his pace to match hers. "Slow down."

"Never."

* * *

The two slipped into the town, quickly blending into the people roaming the streets. The town not only looked lively, but it felt so too. The air in the town was lighter and full of energy. Get being in it made you want to go and do something, go and see someone. And it infected Tayuya. The girl moved almost wildly, running to any and every building and looking inside the windows. The streets were slightly decorated, with lights and small stalls up already.

"What to do first…?" The redhead thought out loud, looking at the attractions.

"Do you even have money to pay for it?" The comment caused the girl's cheeks to flush in embarrassment, the fact finally dawning on her. "You should have brought a 'Will work for food' sign."

She growled, completely clashing with the blush still on her face. "I would have thought of something!"

Sasuke reached into his pocket, pulling out a small roll of money. "It hasn't even been five minutes and I've already bailed you out of something."

"Shut up!" She snatched it from his hand, quickly counting it before shoving it into her pocket. "How'd you get this anyway?"

He looked away, glancing at a random stall. "It was for the mission we went on. In case we needed something."

The girl didn't stay for the whole explanation. She darted off into the crowd, quickly disappearing from the boy's sight.

_This is why I shouldn't talk._ He groaned mentally, before heading off to find her. He shifted through the crowd, looking for red. However, there was no sight of the girl. The only red he saw was on someone's shirt or a banner. He moved faster, his eyes scanning more carefully. She wouldn't bolt, would she?

Why does he care? Why should he care? He abandoned all those things, all those feelings. So… Why did he feel them…?

"Looking for someone?"

His head snapped around, to see the girl standing behind him with her hands casually behind her head. Something was off about her. Her shirt was different. She ditched her Sound 4 shirt for a normal white shirt. It was small, really showing off her – again, why was he noticing this?

"No." He said, turning to fully face her.

The redhead smirked, stepping closer to him. "Liar. What's wrong, a sexy girl you tried to hit on ditch you?" She placed her hand on her hips as she talked, swaying them a bit.

"…Hn…" He grunted at the girl.

"Come on, I think I saw a shooting stall around here." And with that she was off.

The boy followed, his hands in his pockets. He quickly caught up to her, walking next to her. She walked into a main area of the festivities, with stalls lining the sides.

Sasuke's eyes opened widely. The stalls… The shirt… Did that mean…? _No. It means nothing. _He told himself, trying to keep his cool persona. _It's nothing more than coincidence, that's all_. Even though the words sounded convincing, to him it wasn't. His mind was beginning to go mad, something the red haired girl was beginning to cause often.

Why did he care that she disappeared? He shouldn't. So why did he? Why was he always so quick to try and help her? Just the sight of her in pain or distress would cause his blood to boil almost as much as being near her would. Why? And why did he care what kinds of looks the guy was giving her? Where does he think he's looking?

The guy walked closer, a smirk coming onto his face. Sasuke's fists balled at this. He came closer, putting on some kind of stupid smile for the girl.

"Hey gorgeous, how's it going?" He said once he came up to them.

Tayuya blinked at first. Was he actually talking to her? Was she… gorgeous? "Me?"

The man's smile became wider. "Why of course you! Do you see anyone else who looks as good as you?" He reached to touch her arm.

"Can I... help you?" Sasuke suddenly stepped in front of the girl, intercepting his arm.

The man didn't respond to Sasuke, instead looking at Tayuya. "Could you tell Onii-san to step back?"

"I'm not her brother." He said, stepping closer to the man.

"Oh really? You sure?"

"Get lost." He spat, now glaring at the man.

The man scowled, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why should I?"

All the while, Tayuya couldn't help but begin to blush. _Are they fighting over… me?_ This was completely new to her. The only other occasion something like this ever happened was when she said something _really_ insulting once and people began fighting to see who'd get to beat her up. But this time they weren't mad at her, no, they wanted her.

"Come on."

A hand suddenly snapped her back to reality. She looked to see her partner grabbing her wrist and pulling her away. The man groaned, letting out a curse before walking away.

She looked at the boy, pulling her away quickly. Why was he doing this to her? And why did she like it…

"What's wrong Sasuke, jealous?" She taunted, beginning to walk up to him.

"Shut up." He said quickly. Too quickly.

The girl quickly grabbed onto his muscular- wait, why was she adding that part?- arm, holding it tightly. "Aw, don't worry Sasuke-_kun _, I'll always love you the most."

He groaned, looking away. When'd she get so… His mind stopped as he noticed something. She hadn't let go yet. She held on, the arm pulled up against her body. It was only then he noticed something.

They weren't alone.

The number of people on the street increased. A lot. The streets were almost filled with people walking through. It was hard enough just to walk forward without wrecking into someone. People moved in all kinds of directions, crowding around the booths.

_Damn it… Where'd all these people come from?_ The girl thought. She wasn't used to crowds like this. It was overwhelming, seeing all these people moving together like currents in the see. All moving and waiting to sweep her away.

She held the boy's arm tighter, something she knew he'd notice. But… There was something weird about his arm, about her. The tighter she held, the less the people seemed to affect her. The safer she felt. _Why isn't he pushing me off or something…?_ _Doesn't he hate this kind of thing…?_

She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice came out shakier than she hoped. "H-Hey! D-Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just doing this so that you don't get lost!"

"Likewise." The boy responded.

The two continued walking through the sea of people, with no real destination in mind. Suddenly, the girl stopped, tugging on the boy's arm. She brought him to a simple stall. Knock down all the bottles, win a prize. The boy's eyes widened once again.

_What's with this…? It's just like…_ He let his thoughts end, trying to focus on the present. The girl slowly abandoned his arm, pulling out some money and slamming it onto the counter of the stall. He looked on as the girl yelled to the attendant, though he noticed something. _My arm feels… cold._

Tayuya grabbed a ball, casting a look at Sasuke before turning back to the stand. She stood straight, winding up and taking aim. _Straight down the centre. The bottles are stacked loosely, so it should be easier to knock them all down._ Locking onto her target, she swung her arm, throwing the ball.

"Hey!" The attendant dived to the side, barely dodging the incoming projectile. "I know people say these things are rigged, but don't take it out on me!"

The redhead stiffened, a memory coming to mind. _Oh wait… I can't throw… That's one of the reasons I didn't just launch the pineapple shithead's kunai back at him when we fought…_ She slowly turned around, looking at Sasuke. Her face flushed as she saw the smirk on his face. "Sh-Shut up! This isn't as easy as it looks!"

"You know," The man poked his head out from under the counter. "He wasn't saying anything."

She snapped her head back to the man, blush still covering it. "Y-You shut up too! No one's talking to you anyway!"

The man scowled, looking away. "Sheesh, don't get mad at me if you can't impress your boyfriend…"

**Fwap!**

The man ducked under the counter again, a small squeal coming out as he dove. "You aimed at me this time!"

"So what if I did?" The girl yelled, throwing her last ball into the booth. She then turned, folded her arms and stomped away. The boy followed, shoving his suddenly cold hands into his pockets. "Was the jackass serious? Us, a couple? Yeah right! I couldn't look at you like that even if the world was ending!" She turned her head, glaring at him as she spoke. "You've got zero redeeming features! You're butt ugly, stupid, power hungry to fault, nowhere near heterosexual, no sense of fashion, so stupid that I had to teach you human language…"

The girl stopped mid-sentence, even mid-stride. She swerved away from the boy's side, moving into an alley instead. Sasuke stopped, looking into the alley.

"Aw…"

The girl was crouched in front of the darkness in the alley, her hand stretched out and soft, too soft for the boy to hear, words coming out of her mouth. She slowly crept to the darkness, more words coming out. Eventually, she disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

The girl emerged, a black ball in her hand. It uncurled, revealing two small, pointed ears. A pair of bright, yellow eyes stared out, their gaze going over any and everything.

"Nya…"

The black cat freed one of its paws, licking it. The girl cooed as it did this, holding the cat closer. She smiled softly, whispering to it as she petted its head.

_So, she isn't all ruff and tuff…_ He thought, looking at the girl with the cat. He honestly didn't thin the girl knew how to do anything other than be loud and rough. _Actually, she looks kinda…_

"What the hell are _you_ looking at?" She scowled, glaring at the boy for a split second before sending her attention back to the cat. She whispered softly to the cat. "Hey, so you don't have a home…" It was obviously true. The cat lacked a collar, or even any sign that it was groomed beyond its own paws. "I guess you don't have many plans for life either, huh?"

"You know, I highly doubt pets are allowed in the base." Sasuke broke their moment. "So -."

"He's coming with us." She said, still looking at the cat. "Especially since you just told me that, there's no way we're leaving him here."

"We can't just bring in a stray." He said, looking at the two. The last thing she needed now was to get on Orochimaru's bad side. Worse bad side.

"Hey, don't say that." A small smile came over her lips, though it showed nowhere else. "I used to be just like him."

Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. _Rebellious even in times like these._

The cat gave a loud meow, drawing the girl's attention back to it. She looked down at it, talking softly. "What's wrong? Hungry?" She quickly looked back up at Sasuke. "Hold him while I go buy something."

"I'm -." The cat was already in his hands and the girl was already gone before he could finish. "not good with cats." He looked at the feline, which stared back.

"Nya!"

Before the boy could move, his hands got slightly lighter. The cat leapt from his hands, dashing into the mass of people. His legs moved immediately, no thoughts in his head besides getting back the cat.

His eyes honed in, watching the cat closely as it bobbed in and out of people.

"Hentai!" A cry suddenly burst through the crowd. Sasuke jumped back just in time to dodge a swinging purse. A woman swung it once more, coming closer to the boy. "What do you think you're doing, trying to peek in public like that!"

The cat cared none whatsoever about what the woman was yelling about. It raced in the direction of the stall. And he didn't care about the lady either. Despite the yells and shouts, he darted after the cat, pushing through the crowd.

"Nya!" The cat said loudly before leaping onto a garbage can. Then a person. Then a stall.

The boy's teeth grinded as he chased after it. _This is why I'm not a fan of cats._ He barely squeezed through the crowd, catching a glimpse of the cat relaxing on top of the stall. _There's too many people here for me to go all out._

He reached the stall, leaping up and sliding onto the top. Only for the cat to jump off.

"Ryaa!"

"… Got it…" He said, pulling his arm up. The cat come up, swinging by the tail which was caught in the boy's hand. He climbed down, holding the cat a lot tighter than last time.

"Hey!" The stall attendant yelled. "What the hell was that? Don't try any stunts like that again!"

The boy only scowled and walked away.

"Where the hell are you going?" A voice suddenly said behind him. The boy turned, plopping the cat into the hands of a red haired girl. She just stood and stared for a couple seconds as he continued walking.

"You coming…?" He cast a gaze back, looking through the crowds.

"Sure, why not." She shrugged, opening a can of newly bought cat food.

* * *

"Nya!"

"Ah shit!"

The girl rushed through the corridors of the base, chasing after a ball of black. Curses flew from her mouth as her hands reached down, but never neared the running creature. It playfully dodged her, almost yelling in glee with every dodge.

"Well at least don't gloat about it!" She yelled at the cat as she chased it. "Or at least not so loudly! You want the whole floor to know I brought in contraband?"

The cat paid no attention to her pleas, continuing to run through the halls. It cut around the corner, only for a gasp to come afterwards.

_Oh crap…_ Tayuya thought as she rounded the corner. The worst-case scenario already going through her head. _This person's definitely going to rat on me._

"Aw, I didn't know they had cats here!" A voice cooed.

The girl sighed as she made her way around the corner. In front of her stood a boy, with curly brown hair with a black cat in his arms. He petted it softly while the cat meowed loudly in response.

"Tayuya-chan! This little guy is yours?" He asked, looking up at the girl.

"Shh!" The girl's hand quickly came over the boy's mouth. "Not so loud!" She then turned her attention to the cat. "And you! Stop running around and making so much noise! You're gonna get me busted if this continues!"

The cat struggled to move for a couple seconds, calling loudly as he did. Akhito smile as the redhead removed her hand. "He's a lively one, isn't he?"

A sigh came from the girl's mouth in response. She leaned back, scratching the back of her head casually. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with Ryouhei. He's always going around doing loud and crazy things."

"Aw, you even named him too."

"Well I wasn't going to leave him without one. I wasn't going to call him 'You' or 'Cat' something." She looked away, her eyes suddenly hardening as she said the last part. "You don't know how much you'll cherish something like people calling you by name."

"Yeah… I guess…" The boy replied. His smile brightened once more as he continued along with some mindless conversation. "So, watcha doin'?"

The girl gave an annoyed sigh as he asked. "Absolutely nothing. This place is the most annoying place in the freaking world! Everything in this hell hole needs 'permission'. It's like I can't scratch my ass without someone asking if I have permission to do so!"

The boy laughed at the girl's rant, nodding slightly. He then got fired up, even the cat seemed to get affected. "Yeah, I swear the 'thing' almost asked for identification when I went for food this morning!"

"Nya!"

"Not again!"

The cat burst from the brown haired boy's arms, meowing loudly while running down the hall. The girl shot after the cat, with the boy trailing behind her.

"How could you let him go? Are you insane?" She yelled at the boy as she ran.

"It wasn't on purpose! He just came out!" He wailed in return, trying to catch up to her.

The cat run around the corner, meowing loudly as it ran. The girl cringed as it did, mentally slapping herself for not getting a leash or something.

"Maybe if I teleport…" The boy thought out loud, his hands already starting to form a handsign.

"No!" Tayuya quickly said. "You'll just startle him and make him run faster or in a different direction." Her mind began working quickly, observing the cat as it ran.

_It's not going anywhere in particular, so maybe we can direct it to my room._ She looked around, her ears straining in an attempt to pick up any other sounds. She also focused her senses, trying to hone in on any other chakra in the area. _Crap, I can't __pick up much chakra with all these walls… However…_ The sounds entered her ears, her mind quickly deciphering them.

"Akhito, teleport into the corridor two hallways down!" She ordered.

"But you said -!"

"Just do it!" She cut him off quickly, running low on time. A spike in chakra came, and the sound of footsteps behind her vanished.

"Ryaa!"

The cat screeched, stopping in its tracks as the boy appeared in front of it. Scratching the floor, it rushed to the opposite direction. A smirk came over the girl's face as she saw this.

"Come on!" She said as she slid across the floor. The boy nodded before following her. _This is like one big shoji board… If I play right, this will be fool proof._ The two continued down the path, the girl listening closely as she ran. _Your turn…_

Her ears locked in on a sound, a mental picture of the base quickly coming up. On the map, her room was highlighted. From there, a multitude of routes were formed. One by one, she began singling them out, selecting a few paths to work with.

_Ok, movement to the left…_ She glanced at the cat, seeing it pull to the right. _No need to make any special moves, this person seems a bit far._

"Hey mophead, listen up! From now on, if we want to make sure no one sees Ryouhei, you'll do everything I saw without hesitation! Got it!"

"Hai!" He said, turning around to salute her with a grin.

"Good." She heightened her hearing, looking at her mental map as she ran. _Ok, following Route A… We'll need to make a left turn around now._ She listened, her head going silent for a couple seconds. "Yo! Two hallways ahead!"

The boy was gone within a second. Even Tayuya had to admit, for someone who was generally so useless, he was good with his chakra. The cat ran away in shock, though the girl recognised something as it ran.

_Damn… I was worried about that. It's beginning to get used to the Teleportation._ She thought, going round the corner. _Looks like I only have a limited number of moves until I lose._ She couldn't help but smirk at her circumstances.

A noise registered in her head as she continued to run. _Someone._ The noise continued, her mind focusing on it. _Loud, heavy, regular… A freaking patroller._

Although there wasn't really a need for it, there were guards who patrolled the hallways of the bases regularly. Since the Kumogakure base was usually empty, they didn't go around as much. There were a lot less fights, quarrels or overall foolishness going on in that base. However, they were all known for one thing. Loyalty. They were either people the snake saved personally or had a _very_ large debt to him. Either way, they weren't likely to let a complete violation of the rules go unreported. Or easier yet, unkilled.

_Need a new route, now!_ She listened again, gauging the distance and pace. _He's not moving too fast. Good, that gives me time to act._ "Two hallways forward then make sure it goes right!"

The boy gave a small nod before going again. However, the girl noticed that his hands moved before he left. _Bunshin._ She thought, as she saw two Akhito's appear in front of the cat. It looked at both, before heading off to the right.

"Move success!" The boy grinned as he continued to run.

The redhead followed, though her face was the complete opposite of his. _Shit, it's becoming unaffected quickly… I don't think I have more than three moves left._ She thought for a bit, a small plan beginning to bloom. _No matter, this match is mine. Finally._

Suddenly, her legs froze.

She stopped running, her chakra sensing abilities working. Her body began shaking as it registered in her head, her eyes widening.

_No…_

"Mophead!" She yelled. "I don't care if you have to teleport inside of it, that cat does pass the second hallway!"

_I can't lose. Not now._

She forced her legs into motion, following the two. She watched as the boy made one final teleport. He landed in front of the cat, lying on his side with his hands outstretched. It leapt into them, his arms slowly closing around it.

"No!"

Until he looked to the right and leapt out of the boy's hands and continued running. Akhito stretched, trying to crawl quickly enough to maybe grab the tail at least.

"Aw man…" He pouted as he got up, dusting himself off. "We were so close, huh?" He turned to see the girl, frozen next to him. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to following him?"

He then felt it. His eyes widened a bit, his feet turning without his consent.

"O-Orochimaru-sama!" He bowed nervously. "K-Konichiwa!"

_What the hell? He's here already?_

Behind them stood a pale white skinned man, his long black hair going down. His clothes were a little ruffled, showing that for once he wasn't spending all his time in his office.

He gave a wave at the boy, turning to the girl instead. "Where is it." It didn't even sound like a question. Everyone could tell what the true meaning behind it was. 'Kill it now.'

"Where is what?" The girl retorted rudely, slapping a tough façade on quickly. She turned around, glaring the snake-like man dead square in his face. "You finally going insane or something?"

"You know what I'm talking about." He said, returning her glare with equal or even greater intensity. "I can smell it."

She snorted, waving the man off. "You're smelling yourself, _ojii-san_. Maybe that stroke you've been trying to dodge is finally taking you?"

The man scowled at the honorific, his fists tightening as the conversation progressed. "You know full well that no animals are allowed here. There is no place for softness here."

The girl snorted again, turning away from him. "What's you point? You think Akhito brought in fleas or something?"

"Hey!"

The man was completely unfazed by the crude humour. In fact, it was obvious that he was actually getting more annoyed. "I'm tired of your games girl. Tell me where that creature went."

She folded her arms, switching weight between her legs. "It probably crawled down his back hair and into his ass crack. You know there's enough hair there to hide a base."

"Hey! Once is enough!"

The man's muscles tightened, sending an unintentional shiver racing down the girl's spine. _Damn it… Why am I getting scared?_

He glared at her one final time, before walking passed her. "Fine, have it your way girl. Just know, it would be wise to try and avoid being my prey."

"Ooo," She said, faking a scared shiver. "I'm so scared I think I'll call pest control."

The man gave of a wave a sinister chakra, before walking away into the direction Ryouhei went into.

Tayuya just stood there, her tough façade still on for a few moments, until it melted away. She sunk to her knees, her fists clenching once she knew the man was out of range. "Damn it… Damn it!" She yelled, slamming her fist into the ground. "I can't even save a freaking cat!"

"Nya…?"

The girl's head snapped to the right, to see Ryouhei sitting next to her, his head cocked to the side. He meowed once more, before beginning to lick his paw.

"… He… found me…" A voice said reluctantly.

Without warning, the figure suddenly felt two arms wrap around its neck. Suddenly, something soft pressed itself on his cheek.

Slowly, she pulled back, looking to see what exactly she had done. "Duckass?"

In front of her stood Sasuke, his hands in his pocket and his eyes focused somewhere else.

She immediately threw herself off, pushing the boy away at the same time. She looked away as well, her face beginning to look flushed. "D-Don't get the wrong idea! Th-That was just a re-reflex!" _Why am I stuttering so much so suddenly? _

"…Hn…" He grunted, deciding to glare at Akhito rather than look at the girl.

"Aw, look it's Sasuke-san and Tayuya-chuuun!" The brown haired boy broke the air, spinning around with his lips pressed together in a kissing way.

The girl's face burst into red, his fists balling quickly. "Sh-Shut up mophead! Don't make me come over there and make you shut it!"

"Aw, am I ruining the mood?" He teased some more, picking up Ryouhei. "We'll leave you two alone now."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She yelled, starting to chase the boy. The two continued for a while, though Sasuke opted to stay out of it instead.

"Hey, you." A voice suddenly said, calling everyone's attention. "The girl."

She looked on, glad that the cat chose to get out of the boy's arms and behind Sasuke. "What?"

"I need to speak to you. Privately." The figure said.

**

* * *

Chapter done! Almost missed it there… I really think I need to slow down on the Dissidia while typing. Anyway, talk to me caller! I'd like you hear from you guys, so some feedback would be appreciated.**

**Chapter Notes:**

**Nya: Japanese equivalent of 'meow'.**

**Ojii-san: Grandfather.**

**Bunshin: Well, everyone should know this. But, if you don't, it means clone.**


	12. Myself

**So this worthless author actually managed to put out a chapter a month. Or something so. I've actually sustained this (kinda) constantly over an entire year. Either way, time to seal the deal with the twelfth instalment.**

**

* * *

Chapter 12: Myself

* * *

**

From since the man appeared, Tayuya's head was on overdrive. She gave quick glances around, making sure he couldn't have spotted Ryouhei or anything else he wasn't supposed to. However, two lines did anything but make it better.

"I need to speak to you. Privately."

For a moment, the girl's head went blank. In fact, everyone stopped and watched, waiting for the girl's reaction.

Her mind went off in a thousand directions, all kinds of thoughts coming to her head. Did he see Ryouhei? Or was he going to talk to her about when she sneaked out? What if he always knew that she sneaked out, was she going to be blackmailed? Or maybe it's just some pervert, trying to get a fast job or something? What if he didn't take no for an answer? He could have free feign, seeing that Orochimaru didn't care for her any more. Or what if he just wanted her dead, wanted to see her lifeless body lying in some pool of blood decaying for the worms and bugs to enjoy.

_Get a grip!_ She reigned in her thoughts. Trying to pull herself together, she gave the man a nod, following him around a few corners. _I need to at least know what he's talking about first before I can jump to conclusions._

The two walked a few corners away, making sure that they were out of earshot from them. The man stopped, turning to face Tayuya after making one final check.

"We're alone. Spit it out already." She folded her arms, her impatience getting the best of her. The feeling was tearing her apart, the feeling of her mind going in all directions while knowing it wasn't going anywhere. She needed something, _anything_ to work with.

Even with Tayuya's added urging, the man still hesitated. An odd look filled the eyes which pierced through the mask. "… I know…"

The redhead gasped involuntarily. Her subconscious self yelled, the feeling to smash something filling up her body. _Shit. But, know what? I need to find out!_ "I don't know what you're talking about."

He glanced at her, continuing. "…I saw you. I saw you when you snuck out."

The girl's fists balled as he said that. Her mind was already starting to work. They were alone. He made sure that they were. Did that mean that she would have to…

"I saw the way you looked around, taking mental notes." He continued, going through the girl's oncoming distress. "Even though you weren't alone, you took too long for someone just trying to remember. You were doing… more."

The girl couldn't look at the man anymore. What was he going to do? And if she was going to have to go all the way… Could she? Would she really be able to do _whatever_ it takes to keep him quiet? Even if it meant… forever? Her heart rate increased, her palms became sweaty and her stomach began to churn. The room itself seemed to start spinning, her confidence crumbling.

"I don't know what you have on your mind, or even why you snuck out… All I know is…" He reached up to his face, the girl's body tensed as she saw his body move. Maybe he was going to activate a kekkei genkai. A doujutsu?

He pulled back his mask, his black hair coming free from its binds. Some of it fell in front of his face, blocking one of his eyes. "I want in."

Instantly, the redhead's heart cooled. Her stomach slowed down as relief washed over her. He wasn't hostile. The man who was wearing a guard uniform wasn't hostile.

Guard uniform?

Her body tensed once more, one single thought coming to her mind. Lies.

"I still don't know what you're talking about."

The man grunted, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "You don't believe me, huh? I can't blame you. After all, the only thing this place teaches you is to not trust anyone."

_Can't disagree with that._ Tayuya commented mentally. _But still, he can't honestly expect me to welcome him with open arms._

The man balled one of his fists, looking down at it. "Also, guards are supposed to be the most loyal, so this must obviously be a trap. Something to finally catch the delinquent ones and get rid of them. It's just that…" He raised his fist, his eyes closing. "I don't know if I'm going insane or just getting paranoid, but I know you were up to something more than just covering your own hide."

The girl's eyes widened a bit. _Why… Is this affecting me? I feel like I shouldn't believe a damn word… So… Why do I also feel like I should believe?_ "Try making some sense. I… don't have a clue to what you're talking about."

"I can't take this anymore." He growled, swinging his fist into the wall. "I can't _stand_ this way of life anymore. Watching people walk through the gates, walking straight into hell while all I do is stand by. Taking the glares, the stares, the fear filled glances while all just looking on like some kind of viewer." One of his hands ran through his head. "I feel sickened with myself, for doing nothing! I feel like I should have done something, like I'm the one bringing them down into hell!"

"So why not just run?" The girl said without thinking. The words seemed to have a mind of their own, and their mind wanted to hear his answer.

"Are you insane? Run? RUN? And what would that do? What would that solve? I'd just be dodging, trying to escape the fact that I've already cast my dice and the wound still bleeding! I have to do something, I can't just sit back and let this continue!" He stepped closer, grabbing the girl's shoulders. "But you are too. You want to do something, I can feel it! I don't care if I die, I don't care if no one remembers me! As long as I can do something about this cycle, the never ending cycle of pain, death and misery can end or at least slow it down, I would have done _something_!"

The girl stayed motionless for a couple of seconds, her head facing down.

"So, I want in."

Tayuya remained silent, her eyes still glued to the floor. The air around them began to get thick and tense, as the man waited for the girl's response.

"You keep saying you want in…" She started, raising her head. "But I have no idea what you're talking about." She gazed coldly at the man, before pushing his arms aside. She continued talking as she walked back to the others. "And next time you want to talk to me, make sure that you make damn sense."

* * *

Silence greeted the redhead as she rounded the corner to meet Sasuke and Akhito. She already knew why they were silent, though she doubted that –

"What did he have to say?" Sasuke suddenly spoke, the cat poking its head from behind his legs.

Nevermind. "Don't worry, nothing important. You know this place has its share of crackheads." She waved him off, turning her attention to Ryouhei. She opted instead to try and get the cat's attention, motioning for it to come.

However, it only went behind the boy's legs.

"Looks like he doesn't really like you." Akhito chuckled as the cat moved from the girl. "Or maybe he just finds Tayuya-chan to be scarier than Sasuke-san."

The girl's head spun to face him. "Sh-Shut up! He'll warm up eventually." She turned back to Sasuke. "Duckass, pick him up and let's get out of here. I don't want the snake making another appearance."

"Why don't _you_ take him?" Akhito teased.

"I said shut up!" She yelled at the boy, her face beginning to flush in embarrassment. "Come on!"

She rushed, grabbing the black haired boy's arm as soon as he had the cat in one hand, and dragging them along the way to their room.

"You know, I have my own two feet to walk on." The boy commented as she pulled him along.

"Shut up."

* * *

Even Tayuya has her stupid moments. Her rational mind takes a while to work sometimes, which was more often than not when she was younger, so she has quite a list behind her. They range from all kinds of things, from things which are kind of understandable to things which make you want to slap her. But, this trumps almost all.

"Shit!" The girl flinched, flying off the bed and crashing onto the floor. "What the hell was I thinking? Bringing a cat!"

Or, at least in her book anyway.

The cat sat on the bed, looking innocently at her as she cursed audibly. She scowled, pointing her finger at it. "Don't give me that look! You know what you did! Now cut it out!"

The cat only licked its paw in response. Getting up, the girl got back onto the bed, pulling her cover over her body. She gave the cat one final, stern look before closing her eyes and beginning to nod off. And off. And… off…

"Nyaa…"

"Grahhh!" The girl flew out of bed once more, clenching her stomach. "Stop freaking doing that!" The cat sat on the bed, casually licking its paw. "And don't give me that look! You know you're not innocent!" It continued to ignore her, instead focusing more on the itch behind its ear. The girl growled at it, her fists clenching. Suddenly, an idea came to her head. "You know what, if you want to scratch so much…" She whispered, picking the cat up. "Why don't we get you a scratching post?" She crept over to Sasuke's bed, gently placing the cat on his stomach.

He flinched, the redhead freezing as she saw the movement. A sigh escaped her lips as she saw him scratch his arm before falling back to stillness. A smile crept across the girl's face as she stepped away.

_Now all I have to do is wait for the fireworks._ She thought as she slipped back into her bed. She pulled her sheet over her body once more, this time turning to get the perfect view.

"What the hell?" She said once she turned over. Instead of a boy leaping off the bed, yelling obscenities, it was the exact opposite. He was the exact way she left him, silently sleeping, with the only movement being the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. This time, he wasn't the only one sleeping. Ryouhei rested in his stomach, curled up into a small ball.

"It really doesn't like me…" She turned around, pulling the covers tighter. "… Fine…! See if I care…"

**

* * *

Darkness. **

**The sanctuary he used to thrive in. Used to. These days, he was straying more and more, his mind starting to wonder. Wonder back to the light. The longer he stayed, the more his choice weighed on him. If Darkness was the only way to gain the power he needed, why was she running from it? Was it really that bad?**

**He walked down the road, a 'dream' he had been having for a while now. All that was visible was the path. Apart from that, darkness shrouded everything. There was nothing in the void except for the path, no sound, no other land, no one else. Just the void.**

"… **Why am I walking…? Isn't this the darkness I came to?" He mumbled to himself, still walking none the less. His head turned, looking into the void. "Isn't this what I wanted…?"**

**However, his questions fell of deaf ears. All that replied to him was silence. Where was everyone before, who was telling him what to do? Where were the strong urges, pulling him in the direction? Yes, the curse mark still pulled, but not as much as before.**

**Despite his questions, he still walked. And that's all he did in the dream. Just walk and question. That was the agonizing part. **

"**When will this end…?" He began talking as he walked. "When will you just give me a sign…? When will you order me around like you always to, pointing out the way? Are you just going to stop here?"**

**Not even an echo replied.**

**His blood began to boil as the dream continued, his emotions running wild. "You won't say anything?" He stopped walking, turning towards the void. "All my life you've been leading me, and you abandon me now?" His foot rose, moving towards the void. "Well I don't need you! I can make my own path!"**

**Suddenly, he froze. Could he really make his own path? He looked at his foot, frozen, mid-air over the void. Was this really the best decision? What if he waited longer, what if it was just taking some time…**

"**What the hell!" He yelled, stepping back onto the path. "Damn it, I'm even starting to talk like her. She rubbed off on me…" **

**Why was it so hard? All he had to do was take one step, just one. From there, it was simple. But… that one step…**

**He looked up at the darkness, letting out a growl before continuing down that path. "Fine, I'll give you a little longer…"**

**

* * *

Bam!**

Slight pain rocked his side, slapping him out of his sleep. His senses came awake automatically, his eyes adjusting and his muscles flexing.

"Rise and shine duckass!" The girl was standing on his bed, one of her feet extended. A huge smile painted her face, obviously pleased with her work.

The boy shot a glare at her, turning the girl's smile to a full blown grin.

"What's wrong honey? Did I wake you up from a good dream?" She taunted, leaning closer. "Oh, I'm _so_ sorry."

_If only it were good._ He thought, getting up. _Then again, should I really be mad or thankful…?_

"Now come on, we have to take Ryouhei for a walk." She rose her hand, the cat hanging by its tail.

"We?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, _we_. Since _we_ decided to bring him back." She said, holding the cat's tail a bit tighter. "Got a problem with that duckass?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but simply closed it and shook his head. "Fine."

The girl's reaction was exactly the opposite of what he expected. Instead of laughing, her face changed to a more serious on. She leaned in, her eyes narrowing on his face. "… You… ok…? Your face looks kind of weird."

The boy scowled in response.

"For once, I'm not insulting you." The girl said, still serious. "You look kind of red. Plus, unless your dream was _really_ exciting, I don't think that amount of sweat is normal after sleeping."

Sasuke's eyes widened, his hand running over his forehead. True enough, his head was soaked. He stared at his hand for a few seconds, before looking back up at the girl. "I'm fine."

"You know, I sleep right over there. You could have just asked."

The boy's cheeks flashed red, before his head turned to hide it. "… Let's go…"

"Nyaa!"

The boy's hands moved without him even knowing why. Moment's after they did, the cat landed in his arms, quickly climbing up his arm and onto his shoulder.

"You're in charge of him." She said, beginning to walk towards to the door. "After all, you're his favourite."

* * *

The trio walked through the halls, the girl keeping an ear open while Sasuke made sure that cat didn't stray too much. They didn't bother trying to have a conversation. He knew she needed her ears free and he wasn't much of the talking type.

"… So… How's training coming along?" Tayuya suddenly spoke, her head facing away from the boy.

His eyebrow rose at the question. "Don't you need to listen for if anyone's coming?"

Her head spun around, her cheeks red in anger. "Just trying to have some small talk!"

"Hn."

**Bam!**

"Human language, duckass!" She yelled, slamming her fist into his arm.

He held his arm, slightly inching away from the girl. _When'd she learn to hit like that…?_ "Whatever."

She folded her arms, turning away from the boy as they walked.

"… Alright."

The girl glanced at the boy after his comment. Now he was the one looking away, his eyes going down a random corridor.

"… When are you… going to play for me again?"

"I don't know… Whenever I have the-," She stopped, realizing what he said. Her feet turned her around to face him. "Play for _you_? I wasn't playing for you! You just happened to be there!"

"Call it what you want."

She growled at him, moving closer to him. "I'm not _calling_ it anything! You think I'd waste my time and effort just to play for your ass? You're not even worth throwing my shoes on after a long hard day!"

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pocket. She grunted, fuming as she turned away from him.

A smirk came onto the boy's face after the talk, the silence afterwards being a lot more bearable.

Suddenly, things got a little weird. His head began to get a bit light, his legs getting harder and harder to move. The walls seemed to move, serving in and moving out. Oh wait…

**Bam!**

* * *

…

…

… "Duck…"

…

…

… "Duckass…"

…

…

"Sasuke!"

"…Uh…" Slowly crept out of the boy's mouth. His world slowly returned, the walls of his room pouring into his eyes. His feeling came next. He could feel that he was on his bed, but that ran to the backburner once all his feeling came back.

Heat.

His body felt on fire. He could almost feel his skin burning, melting off his muscle. It was as if Katon justu were being used underneath his skin, each one exploding with incredible heat but nowhere near enough force for the user to be satisfied. Without even noticing it, his breathing became laboured. His face was covered in sweat once more, causing the girl's face to darken.

"Whoa… You look like shit…" She muttered to herself, placing a hand on his forehead. "This is not good… Maybe I should call the mophead, he's learning medicine…"

"I'm… ok…" The boy struggled to mutter the sentence.

The girl rushed over, placing a hand on the boy's chest. "No you're not. Something's happening to you."

"I said… I'm fine."

The girl growled, her hand tightening to a fist. "Quit being so stubborn! You need some kind of attention!"

"All I need… is a bath." He said adamantly, slowly beginning to climb out of the bed. He was met with resistance, the girl's hands pushing him back.

"Just rest for now. I'll get help."

"I don't -,"

"JUST SIT YOUR ASS DOWN AND DON'T MOVE!" She yelled, before getting up and leaving the room.

Sasuke lied down, staring at door in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Was she challenging him?

He smirked, absentmindedly looking around before struggling to get off the bed. _Damn… My head feels like a pack of bricks…_ He ignored the seemingly added pressure on his legs as he strolled to the bathroom.

Shoving the bathroom door open, he flew off his shirt and pants and slowly made his way into the shower.

_This is all I need… Something to wake me up before I go to train…_ He told himself as he turned the handle, letting the hot water rain onto his body. At first it stung, his body flinching on impulse but the heat quickly turned pleasurable. The only problem was that his head still felt like cra—bad.

_Not hot enough…_ He thought, turning the heat up even more. The stinging feeling came again, this time stronger and longer before fading away to the pleasure. However, the problem still didn't go away. _It'll take a little longer to work._

He stood under the water, his arm resting on the wall for support. By now, the glass was starting to fog, steam filling the small area. The hot vapour flowed up his nose, sending warm waves pulsing through his body. However, he still felt more than off.

"Damn it, what's wrong with me…?" He growled, his hand coming up to his face.

"**What's right with you?"**

The boy's eyes widened as the voice spoke, his body stiffening, even afraid at what might happen next. Fighting with his own body, he turned his head, his eyes never returning to their normal size.

"T-Tou-san…" He muttered, looking directly at the glass.

In it was the image of his father, standing tall with the same, disappointed and stern look on his face he had always seen him with.

"**You are the last salvation of our clan, and this is what you do?"**

"This is what I do…? Isn't this what _you_ wanted to? Weren't the scrolls in the clan meeting room yours? Weren't you the one who spoke about avenging the clan and my fate being an avenger?"

"**You're the one wasting time. How do you expect to kill your brother and avenge the clan like that? Do you want the clan to be looked down on forever?"**

The boy remained silent for a few moments, looking away from his father. "… The clan this, your brother that…" He looked up, rage starting to fill his eyes. "For my whole life, that's all I've ever heard you talk about! Your clan or your first son, if not that then you're not saying anything at all!"

"**What is there to say to you? You know your role. Do you think your life is more important than the entire clan?"**

The boy's hand curled into a fist, his arm beginning to tremble. "You fool! Don't you see what your greed has led to? I _am_ the clan! You were trying so hard to return the clan to its greatness that your own son killed you and the entire clan!"

A frown painted his father's face, something he was used to seeing. **"I am the fool? I am Fugaku Uchiha, your father! You dare even consider saying that to me?"**

"Father? I wouldn't know, since you've only spoken to me like one once!" He yelled back. "If you weren't trying to restore your clan back to its former 'greatness' so much, maybe you would have noticed your own son trying to _kill you_!"

"**Enough! You are the scapegoat for the clan! It is not in your right to think, just to act. All you need to focus on is gaining the power and killing the traitor. Nothing else, not even the means matters."**

"I thought you wanted to bring the clan back up to its rightful place. If so, how do you expect the rest of the world to take us seriously if we only do things to make them look down on us!"

"**Boy, do as you're told. The rest of the world will have no choice but to fall underneath us."**

"Fall underneath us…?" The boy's mind went back. Images of his past with Team Seven, the training, the near impossible missions, his defection… "That is… A load of crap!"

"**What?"**

"Do you think the rest of the world will just bow down? Do you think that they'll just agree to whatever madness you plan for me to do? They won't allow it. They'll rise up, they'll do something!"

"**Do you think they can stand up to the power of the Sharingan? We are the strongest clan in the entire world!"**

"What do you think we are, Gods? Anyone can lose! Jutsu does not make you strong!"

"**Enough! You are just a child dreaming! It's time for you wake up and accept your fate!"**

"Accept my fate? That's all I've been doing! Living in someone's shadow, following others orders, living someone else's dreams… I don't even have dreams of my own anymore! All I do is think what everyone else wants me too!"

"**Child, I will not stand for this insolence! You will fulfil the wishes of the clan, you will avenge us!"**

He looked away from the glass, his fists clenching tightly. "… And if I refuse…?"

"**Then begone! You are no son of mine, you are no Uchiha. You've caused the clan far too much disgrace as is."**

The boy's teeth grinded and his hand moved to the closest moveable object. It happened to be the bar of soap. His fingers gripped it tightly as he spun around, his arm pulling back for the throw.

But nothing was there.

Only fog covered the glass of the shower, almost to the point of it being impossible to see through it. He froze mid-swing, his grip on the soap loosening.

"… You moved."

He looked, though he didn't need to, to see a red blur. The girl stood, one of her arms on her hip and the other on the door. Her expression was nothing but a blur, though he already what it was. Pissed.

"… I told you, all I needed was a shower."

"Kami, you're so damn stubborn! I swear, you win staring contests with paintings!" She growled, throwing her arms into the air as she stepped into the bathroom. "You say all you need is a shower, fine! Take your damn shower! Die for all I care!" She walked over to a wall, crossing her arms and looking away.

Sasuke let out a sigh, dropping the soap and resting his back on the wall. He slowly let himself fall onto the floor, one hand coming up to hold his head. All the while, his head was racing.

_Begone… Not an Uchiha…? Then should I just follow him…? If I'm not an Uchiha, then what am I? Nothing?_ His hand tightened, more questions rushing through his head.

"… Tayuya…" He muttered, calling the girl's attention. "… Who… am I…?"

Her arms dropped, her jaw opening slightly in shock. They quickly came back up, her head turning away once more. "Why in all the idiotic…"

"I'm freaking serious!" He cut into her rant, his voice a lot sharp and stronger than she ever heard him before.

She stared at him for a few seconds, lowering her hands but pushing them in her pockets. "What kind of baka are you?"

A growl escaped the shower. "I—."

"Why are you asking _me _who you are?" She cut in, pulling one of her hands out and pointing at the boy. "_You_ are the one living your life! _You_ are the only one who has to deal with the consequences! Why the hell should anyone else tell you who to be?" She pushed off the wall, moving closer the shower. "Be yourself! So quit asking everybody else, quit taking everyone else's ideas for your own. You have your own brain, use it!"

_Be… myself…? _The boy thought, looking down at the shower floor. _But what really is… myself…? _"Then… who are you?"

Her hand dropped, her cheeks turning a bit pink at the question. She turned, scratching the back of her head. "I'm still working on that… But that's not the point! I'm on my own road. When are you going to find yours?"

On that note the girl walked out of the bathroom, leaving the boy to his thoughts.

_My own road… My own way… _He thought, still gazing at the floor. _Can I find it…? Should I find it…?_

**

* * *

Damn it, computer's giving more stress than ever. The feeling to throw it off the highest point I can find has never been so strong. Also, I'm on a quest to play every Final Fantasy game I can. I've beaten I, II, IV, V and now I'm on VI. Unfortunately, I've been playing way too much and now hear bgm all the time in my head. But, enough about my problems. The chapter! Your thoughts? **

**And merry Christmas. To those of you who celebrate it of course. **


	13. Growing

**Seems like the last chapter was better than I thought. The feedback I got was really positive. Thanks to those of you who reviewed. I really appreciated it.**

**And contrary to popular belief, I am not dead nor have I abandoned this. It's just that work's beginning to pile up and stuff. **

**Chapter 13: Growing**

Sasuke rushed up, sword held tightly in his hand. He swerved as he run, using his speed to the max as he moved towards his target. Once he was there he slashed, aiming specifically for limbs and the neck. A back flip then followed, with the sword wielder landing gracefully with his sword still pointing at his target.

He stood still for a few moments, letting some of the sweat on his face drip off his nose.

A snake launched at him, snapping him out of his momentary rest. He sliced it down, the sword cleaning cutting it in two. Three more quickly flew his way. He leaned to the right, slicing one before swatting another into the last. He leapt to the side, dodging another barrage of snakes. Using the same momentum from the jump, he rolled over and lunged at the target. He thrust his blade, slicing twice before back flipping once more.

"You are not dancing or modelling. Focus on speed, not gracefulness."

The boy grunted, before lunging at the target again. He rushed up, swerving as he ran once more. Snakes flew at him, though he flicked his sword easily to get rid of them. He gave two quick slashes, before giving one final, stronger strike to the neck. He dashed to the side, rolling and quickly standing.

"Better. Now, what are you waiting for? Do you want your opponent to heal themselves before you strike again?"

He nodded, rushing again. This time he did a high flip. delivering a strong axekick. From there he spun around, giving two hook kicks. His feet flipped him over once he finished and pushed him forward. His arm swung quickly, doing three slashes before he jumped back. The moment his feet touched the ground, he continued his assault, leaping into the air. However...

**Fwap!**

He vanished mid-air, only leaving the grass which trailed under his feet in his wake.

"That's enough."

He stood behind, his arm extended with the sword aimed for the neck. An arm stopped it though.

"For now."

He brought the sword back, spinning it before sheathing it.

"Your _zanjutsu_ has improved greatly Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said, lowering his arm. He continued to praise him. "Only you could improve so much over such a little time." The black haired boy only nodded in response. "You are dismissed for today."

He gave a grunt, before turning and walking out of the training grounds.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Another voice said once Sasuke left the area.

"Kabuto." The snake said without looking to see who it was. "His growth is progressing well. By the time two years pass, I'll have the perfect vessel. Why shouldn't I be enjoying myself?"

The silver haired man shrugged, continuing to walk towards him. "True, though I'm sure you've noticed it by now."

"... It is merely a phase he is going through." He responded after some time. "Nothing more. Once he believes he's getting power, Sasuke-kun will follow me."

* * *

"Yo, duckass."

"Hn."

"Don't make me come over there."

"It's not like you're not going to anyway."

**Bam!**

A fist rammed into his arm, sending it flying forward. At the end of the fist was a smirking girl, red hair topping her head. She wore a plain white shirt and dark purple baggy pants. On the right side was a black holster.

"Oh look, you came." He gave a small smirk as he said that.

**Bam!**

He looked at his arm, then back at the girl. "You're putting chakra into it now?"

She placed her hands behind her head, casually walking next to him. "Quit whining, it'll make you stronger."

The girl had appeared from around the corner once he exited the training grounds. It became somewhat of a habit. Come, trouble the duckass, go to the mess hall or something, get him to walk the cat, sleep. Since she really didn't have much to do these days, something Sasuke knew too, neither thought much of it. Plus, the halls of the Kumogakure were almost always empty so there were never any glances, glares or comments.

For a few moments, the two walked in silence. The girl's eyes resting on his body for a few seconds before she broke the silence. "So, you started putting chakra into this yet?" She reached out and drew his sword as he spoke. The boy rose an eyebrow for a response.

_Concentrate..._

Suddenly, the clear silver colour of the sword disappeared, turning into a slight red instead. The area they were in lit up, the temperature of the area going up as well. The girl lifted the sword, her eyes now closed in concentration. Her fingers loosed around it, before her arm flicked to the side, causing a small wave a of fire to leave the blade. The glow died quickly after, the girl handing him back his sword.

"The wood of the handle isn't ordinary wood. It's from a special kind of tree which reacts and conducts chakra well. It'd probably make some paper which would do something interesting if chakra was sent through it." She scratched her arm as she continued to talk. "Actually sending the chakra is a little tricky and since I'm a blank shell of elemental chakra it was a bit annoying using it."

"What jutsu did you use just now?" He asked.

The girl snorted at the question. "I wouldn't call it a jutsu. I'd call it a 'warming technique'." She shoved her hands in her pockets, scowling. "One day the room was cold so I just pumped some fire chakra and molded it until I warmed the place up. Properly."

"So that's why my bed was burned..." He said, smirking at her.

Her cheeks burst into red, her fists balling immediately. "Shut up, shut up! Stop lying, I wasn't that bad!"

"Yeah. Sure."

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, turning her head away from him. "Just shut the hell up. "

The two continued walking, turning a few corners before coming up to a pair of doors. 'Mess Hall' read above them, though one would have to wonder which one they were talking about. They pushed through them, walking in a mixture a good and bad aromas. Even there was mostly empty, with the majority of tables empty but a few people sitting and eating. There were one or two who sat together talking, but the rest sat by themselves too preoccupied with their food or their thoughts to care about them. They walked up to the side, stopping in front of a whole in the wall. Just like in the other base, the kitchen was off limits and a complete enigma to its patrons. Then again, most suspected that if they saw what happened inside they would be patrons anymore.

Two plates came out of the darkness, each covered by another one. They took them, walking over to a table away from everyone else before sitting down to eat.

"Itadakimasu..." The red head said softly, before lifting up her chopsticks to eat. She started eating, while Sasuke waited a moment or two first.

He uncovered his plate, holding up his chopsticks to eat.

**Crash!**

He looked to the side, looking for the source of the sound. His eyes quickly scanned the area, noticing that he was not the only one who seemed to have heard. Giving the area one last look, he turned back to his plate. "What the...?"

His head turned, to see the redhead with his plate, almost half his food gone already. He scowled, reaching for his plate. A hand reached over, slapping his and pushing the plate away. He scowled more, starting to glare at the girl. He reached over again, only for the girl to move the plate further away and swat his hand again, all the while still stealing his food. Growling, this time he leaped to the side, going almost completely over her in an attempt to get his place. She slid back, only to come to the end of the table. Quickly, she swung her foot and placed it on his stomach.

The boy looked down and scowled. "...Where's your shoe?"

She swallowed the foot in her mouth, smirking. "What do you mean? Right shoes are out of style now."

"... Seriously...?"

She shrugged, the smirk still on her face. "Don't worry, you _so_ strong and _so_ powerful, one lunch won't kill you."

"This time makes three." He deadpanned, glaring at her.

"I hear four days without lunch is the key to being a strong ninja." She chimed as she reached over with the chopsticks.

The boy started moving, trying to get to his plate. The girl moved her foot, trying to make sure he couldn't get to the plate. The struggle continued, the boy moving more and more until...

**Fwap!**

The girl's foot swung to the right, flying from underneath Sasuke. Oh, and he came crashing down.

"Freaking hell..." She muttered, before feeling something on her face. She opened her eyes to see black irises. Her face lit up as she felt his warm breath blow over her face. She then noticed their positioning.

The boy's arms barely kept him up, his body almost a paper thin distance apart from hers. His legs and hands were outside of hers, pinning her down. His face was so close that some of his hairs fell onto her face. The warmth from his body spread all over hers, sending goosebumps popping over her body.

Her cheeks warmed up, their complexion almost matching her hair's. "G-Get the hell off you y-you damn d-duckass!"

"... Why? I'm getting... comfortable."

She squirmed, only to reassure herself that she was trapped. "G-Get of me!"

"My lunch." The boy demanded.

The girl scowled, looking away. "Can't we make a deal or something?" The boy's stern look answered her question. Growling, she placed the remaining food on the table. The boy rose slowly, the first thing he did was put his hand on his hand on his plate, before getting off her and sliding back.

The girl turned her head, looking away from him. "Well... I guess you need to eat. _Sometimes_..."

He growled at her, looking back at his food. For a girl as slim as her, she could eat. At least she didn't get enough time to finish it this time.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, the two trying to finish the meal. A few murmurs came immediately after but they died out quickly.

After dropping off the plates, the two left the Mess Hall. The redhead decided to break the silence first.

"So, what do you plan on doing for the rest of today?" She casually asked, placing her hands behind her head.

"... Maybe -"

"Tayuya-chaaaaaan!" A voice cried out.

The black haired boy closed his mouth as a head of brown hair appeared lower down the corridor. The boy waved the two of them as he ran over to them. "Konnichiwa Tayuya-chan, konnichiwa Uchiha-san."

The boy remained stolid to Akhito's view, though the redhead could have swore she saw him cringe. "Hn."

He shrugged, assuming it as the boy's normal answer. His eyes went to Tayuya. "You?"

The girl's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, her hands coming up together in front of her. "Well, since here is the more _awesome_ place in the world, I don't think I can possibly decide!" Her face then dropped, one of her fists slamming into the top of the boy's head. "What the hell could I do anyway?"

"Itaiiii..." He mumbled, rubbing his head. "I don't know, maybe you and Uchiha-san could be doing some special training together." The two shared a quick, unseen glance before looking back at the boy. "After all, you two have been getting along better lately."

**Bam!**

The girl's fist slammed into his head again. "Hell no! I want to get stronger, not weak! You think this duckass has anything on me?" She shot him a smirk as she did that. He in return only shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "And we are not getting along better. I've finally trained him." She finished with a grin, slapping the black haired boy's arm.

Akhito shrugged, before beginning to walk off. "Oh well. I'm off to the Library to do some research. Ja mata ne!"

The girl's jaw almost dropped to the floor when he said that. Shaking her head, she tapped Sasuke behind his head, whistling. "Come now boy."

He failed to move, though two words slipped from his mouth. "Weak, huh?"

The girl turned, looking at him. Her smirk returned as she taunted. "Oh, have a problem with that?"

He removed his hands from his pockets. "And what if the answer is yes?"

She stepped closer, the smirk on her face widening. "Well, we'll just have to... Kick Orochimaru's ass and she who makes him scream the hardest!" She flung her arms up into the air and turned around. "After all, it's not like _we_ can go do something like, I don't know, use the training grounds!"

"Why don't we just go outside?" The boy said, pushing his hands back into his pockets and following the girl.

She gave a sigh, throwing her hands behind her head. "That's more trouble than it's worth. Besides, we can't use it too much. I may need it later and that last thing I want is to get caught."

The two just continued walking for a while, neither talking. One or two people passed them, but aside from that they were by themselves.

"... You going anywhere in particular...?"

"No... Just walking..."

* * *

"Welcome, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

As usual, the room was darkly lit, though it was night time. The snake of the Sannin was sitting behind his table, which held its perpetual pile of scrolls, books and papers. The candle burned low, only letting the smirk on the snake's lips show through the darkness. His hands moved around on the table, until coming upon a scroll.

"I have a new mission for you."

"Don't care." The boy replied, already turning to walk away.

"Think of it as your training." He stopped, waiting to hear what the man had to say. The man on the other hand licked his lips, the smirk still there. "Always about self-gain, aren't you Sasuke-kun?" He remained silent. "Do you know what the area we are in is called?"

"... Kumogakure." He answered the seemingly obvious question with a hint of impatience in his voice.

"No, not that name. It's known for something else." Orochimaru picked up the scroll, tossing it into the air a few times. "The Land of the Swordsmen."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose as he heard that. _So... Another village didn't push him out of his last base...?_

"Apart for the Land of the Samurai, Kumogakure is known for having the most and best swordsmen. We moved to this base for that reason." The scroll was tossed forward, the boy placing his hand behind his head to catch it. "Your mission is a simple one. There's a swordfighting tournament in a nearby town. Your goal is to win. Swordsmen from all around the Ninja Nations will be there, so your skills will be tested."

"... Understood."

"Leave now." At this statement, the boy slightly stiffened. "Pack a bag and leave now. I've already notified the guards."

He stayed still for a few seconds, before nodding and leaving.

* * *

He entered the room silently, moving over to his dresser. Looking across, he saw the rhythmic movements of the girl's chest. She was asleep and from the way Orochimaru talked, he was supposed to keep it that way. He took a bag, putting two sets of clothes in it. After putting a few other things, he cast one last gaze across before leaving.

The trip to the gate was fast and the guards let him go without any problems.

_What's Orochimaru doing...? Why did he sound like he didn't want her to come with me...?_ He thought as he walked out of the cave.

As he thought, it was night. Although the base lacked any sign of outside or any indication of outside time, things still managed to run at about the same pace. Though, he would have usually been asleep by this time. A few lone stars dotted the sky, the silence of night almost as bad as the silence of the base. Luckily, a few owls and night creatures cured this.

As he walked, something odd happened to his body. He felt goosebumps pop up along his arm, though his mind felt at ease. His legs felt agitated, as if his his mind was telling them to run. Though, his senses told him nothing so.

"If you're going to follow me, at least mask your chakra." He suddenly found himself saying.

The bushes rustled a bit, before he saw red hair pop out of the darkness. "Who's following you? You just happen to be going the same way I am."

"... It looks like... I can't get rid of you that easily."

The girl walked up next to him, her hands behind her head. "So, where exactly am I going?"

"A town near -" He stopped, looking at her. "Why are you following me?"

She looked away, her hands still behind her head. "What part of 'I'm not following you' don't you get? Sheesh, don't get the wrong idea!" She looked away even more, starting to turn her head. "If I wasn't going where ever I'm going, I'd still be sleeping in my bed, probably throwing..."

"Ryouhei."

"Nyaa!"

The boy's arm came out as a small ball of fur flew his way. As it hit, it uncurled and quickly moved up the boy's arm. The cat perched itself on his shoulder, casually liking it's paw as it sat there.

"Why did you bring him along?" He asked, casting an eye at the animal.

She scowled, folding her arms. "It's not like I could have just left him there. For who, Akhito to take care of him?"

* * *

The two walked along the path on the scroll. The path brought them on a day, maybe two, long trip. It started with slightly forested areas but went onto the mountain or rocky trails, though a few towns were near the path. It was uneventful, though both would have preferred it that way. Especially after the last time they had a random encounter...

The girl felt a shiver go down her spine as the thought came to her. Great, one more nightmare to keep her up. Three more and she may have the record.

"We should be close soon." The boy announced, looking at the scroll as he walked.

"Finally." The girl replied, a smile coming to her face. "I've been waiting for too long to see you get your ass slashed in half. Once you're gone, I can blow the money on some crap and really start enjoying myself."

A smirk came onto his face as she said that. "You wish." His free hand reached for his blade, drawing it quickly and spinning it. "I'm winning this to continue my training."

"Put that butter knife away before you hurt yourself." She retorted. She stopped, her smile widening a bit. "In fact, no, continue. Maybe then you'll finally castrate yourself and sadden that damned snake."

He stopped looking at her for a few moments.

**Fwap!**

The girl leaped back, dodging the sword as she took up a fighting stance. "Oh, so you wanna go? Cause I'm always in the mood to beat you down."

He put the scroll away, spinning the sword before holding it in both hands. However, the girl seemed to have something else on her mind. Her head was facing the other direction. The boy scowled, loosening the grip on his blade.

"You know what... Screw you!" She turned, beginning to run off. "There's more important things to do!"

Sasuke stepped out of his stance, sheathing the blade and turning to the cat. He motioned for it, something the cat understood quickly and leaped onto his shoulder. Once it was safely on, he began walking off into the direction the girl ran off in. After a couple seconds, he realized why she ran off.

Over the hill, a mountain was visible. Or rather, part of it. It almost seemed like a swordsman blasted through part of the mountain, with a large part of it sliced cleanly off. In its place was a town. The town seemed to be bustling with life, sounds from it slowly drifting into his ears. The banners and decorations visible from the distance, it was obvious where Orochimaru was sending him.

"Hey, you trying to make me die before we reach there?"He looked down to see the girl a little way down, her hands on her hips as she swayed impatiently. "Hurry the hell up, will ya!"

The boy shook his head as he started on his way down. "She really does act like a little kid at times..."

* * *

If there was one thing the snake was known for, it was his thirst for information and knowledge. This meant that he always wanted to know and eventually, he'd find out and in great detail. The mission was to take part in a swordfighting tournament, so he expected to see a few swordsmen. However, this didn't seem to be _some_ swordfighting tournament. It was _THE_ swordfighting tournament. The entire town seemed to be built around it, with the stadium the focal point in the town. It was the first thing you saw when you entered, almost towering over nearly everything else in the town. Banners and signs everywhere decorated the streets, all with one common word.

**Swordsman**

The inns, the restaurants, the clothing stores, the vendors, no one was immune to it. Everything was either a sword or something to do with a sword and there definitely wasn't a shortage of those either.

Swordsmen themselves walked through the streets, with almost a third of ever person in the town with a sword strapped to their back, hip or swinging in their hands.

The red head stood at the entrance of the town, her head turning around as she took in the sights and sounds. "Whoa... This place... is FREAKING AWESEOME!"

"We should find an inn first, that way we don't have to sleep outside or in some..." He looked to his side, where the girl was. Was.

She was off, zipping like a three year old in a candy store. The only thing she was missing was her arms sticking out like a plane and the propeller noise. She stopping momentarily in front of anything, before running off at the next thing which caught her attention. The black haired boy sighed, shaking his head at her antics.

"Waste of time... As usual." He began after her.

Tayuya couldn't believe her eyes. The place seemed so lively, so vibrant. So... new. Yeah, she had been in other places than the bases before, but everytime she went somewhere now it seemed like a whole new adventure, a whole new chance to do new things. She ran off, stopping in front of one of the stalls. Swords lined the walls, each a different length, different size, different weight, different colours...

"My lady!" The caretaker said enthusiastically. His hair was short and black, his skin a little tanned and a few of his teeth were on vacation. "I see your eyes glint, I see your heart race. Your soulmate, I have found." The girl stopped, her subconscious getting caught by his words. "You have met it here, you just don't know it yet. Why don't I let you hold one to make sure?"

"I... I use a different kind of weapon..." She said, kind of flustered.

"Of course you do! You use real swords, not his _abominations_!" Another vendor said, grabbing her by the arm and turning her around. His stall was almost the same, in terms of variety and magnitude. "Your soulmate is on my side!"

"I... uh..." She mumbled while being flung around.

"You were not invited to their date! Her soulmate is not pleased at all with you trying to seduce with those creatures!" The first man turned her back, a slim, glimmering blade in his hand. "Here is the first bachelor! Are your heart string tugging?"

"Well... Not really..."

"Because she is not attracted to abominations! She is only interested in masterpieces!" She was spun around once more to the second's stall.

"Masterpieces called flutes." A fourth voice suddenly came. The girl was ripped from the claws of the two salesmen, dragged away before either could make a comment. The girl stared at the boy for a couple seconds as they walked away. "Why didn't you just curse them off like you do to me?"

She crossed her arms, puffing her chest out as she turned her head. "I just felt sorry for the asshats, so I didn't tell them to shut the hell up."

"Just don't let it happen again. We need to do some things before _you_ can goof off."

A grin came to the girl's face as he said that. "I'm glad you know I'll be enjoying myself."

* * *

"A room? You're just in luck!" A sigh escaped the girl's lips as those words came. The two had been searching for some time before stumbling on the inn. "And since at least one of you is a swordsman, there's a bit of a discount." The man behind the counter smiled, before starting to discuss prices with the couple.

The boy paid the amount, the man handing him a key before the two went off to the room.

"See, nothing wrong with some fun!" She grinned as they walked down the corridor. "So at least adjust the stick up your ass, will ya?"

He only shook his head. "... Why are you so peppy now? Why are you grinning so much?"

Her grin vanished, a groan coming out of her mouth. "Geez, do I have to be a pain all the time? Can't I live a little?" She spread her arms, taking in a deep breath. "For once I'm not tightly bound by some chain, given a little roaming room. Why can't I loosen up? You should too, damn it. There's more to life than just fighting."

The boy remained silent, only walking to the room. When he reached he stopped without a word, almost causing the red haired girl to walk into him. He turned the key, opening the door and walking in.

The room was small, though it seemed big enough. A bed, couch, window, stove and sink. That was about it. There was a door leading to the bathroom but that was presumably small as well. The wall colour was a neutral light green, with a painting of a waterfall being the only decoration in the room. The muffled sounds of the street below crawled through the room, but aside from that it was mostly quiet. Ryouhei leaped from the boy's bag and onto the couch. It stretched a bit, circling itself a couple times before lying down on the chair.

The girl tossed her bag on the chair, the cat not seeming to care, and turned around. "Alright, I'm ready to paint the town red!"

He put a hand up, stopping her before she could run outside. "There's one more thing I need to do."

"Ah, right, register. Can't you just give me a curfew or something?"

He scowled at the comment, causing an eyebrow to raise at him. Before she could talk, he turned around and started making his way back out of the building. The girl quickly locked the door before bolting after him.

"Hey! What the hell? I'm the hormonal bitch, leave that kind of behavior for me!" She yelled as she caught up to him. However the boy didn't stop, nor did he even look over his shoulder. All he did was continue walking, he head forward. She rushed up and grabbed his arm, but all that happened was he stretched it backwards.

"Go do whatever you want."

In his hand was some money. The girl watched the money, her eyes switching between his hand and him. Scowling, she grabbed the money and glared at the boy. "Alright then, fine!" Stuffing it into her pocket, she stormed out of the hallway and the hotel.

* * *

**No Killing.**

**Cutting of limbs is strictly prohibited.**

**Any fatal moved must be stopped before contact.**

**No jutsu or chakra enhancement is allowed.**

**Referees have highest priority, no resistance will be tolorated.**

**Outside weapons are allowed.**

**Only swords may be used.**

** Swords with chains, rope etc are allowed but sword must be main focus.**

**Bloodshed is allowed.**

He examined the rules as he walked through the stadium, done with registration. The line was long, already giving the boy an impression on the kind of competition that he was up against. The swordsmen came in all different sizes: tall, big, broad, short, skinny and each had their own kind of sword. After only knowing the katana and Decapitator, he was a bit startled by the varieties. His mind was already thinking of different ways in which they could be used and ways they could be countered.

The stadium itself was a similar style to the one in Konoha. Seating almost all around except for a small section which was reserved for contestants. Though, he told that only those who progressed could see the other fights.

He went towards the underground waiting area. It was the only place to go besides the Hotel but that may cut it close. Besides, he didn't want to show any traits from...

His mind stopped as he walked into the room. His stomach dropped and his throat almost dried.

_Who's creating this... tension?_

The air seemed dense, with all eye flashing at him as he entered the room. However, everyone else went back to their own business as he walked in. That was something he wasn't used to. Usually, when he walked into a room all attention would be focused on him and stay on him from some time. But now, he almost felt _extra_ tension in the air as he walked passed some people. As if he presence annoyed them or even angered them.

_I'll show you... When I knock you all down._ He thought as he sat down in one of the corners.

* * *

Slowly, noise began to filter down through the earth and into the waiting room.

The crowd was here.

And so was the competition.

A few comments came as the other occupants noticed and the air in the room became more lively. He wasn't the only one who was a bit impatient.

/**Contestants: Your matches will begin soon. Repeating: Your matches will begin soon.**/

The boy gripped his sword, ready to go.

* * *

The fights began some time ago, with names of all kinds being called and characters of all builds going out onto the arena.

/**Yutaya Ryohei VS Ukita Takeshi**/

The boy got up, strapping his blade to his back and heading to the stairs.

The light momentarily blinded him as he emerged from the waiting area. His eyes adjusted quickly only to see stone barriers. No sooner than his eyes adjusted, another one of his senses were barraged. His hearing. Cheers and cries rang through the air as the atmosphere of the crowd filled him. The glaring crowds, their cheers of excitement, the sudden adrenaline pumping through his veins... the crowd got to him, instantly filling him with extra drive.

"To save time, the area is divided into four parts. People want to see proper fights so we need to weed through the preliminaries quickly." An attendant said. He pointed him to the far right. "Your opponent has already made his way there."

He quickly made his way there, entering the section in the area. It was nothing more than a patch of dirt, with two men standing in it. One was the referee, a black and white rag around his arm denoted this, and the other was his opponent.

The man was a man, no doubt about it. And with his size, if you thought or said anything different you would be on the floor in no time. His body was big and just from the look of it the boy could tell his muscles were more than developed. His brown, broad shoulders held up a massive sword, probably bigger than the boy himself. His stared down the black haired boy, threatening to block out the sun as he sized him up. Flexing his arm muscles, he lifted the sword and stuck it in the ground.

"Let's get this show on the road." The referee said, holding up his hand. "Begin!"

The boy leaped back, instantly drawing his sword. Immediately, his training came to mind. However, the man just stood there and watched.

The boy rushed to the man, aiming for a frontal assault. He swerved about as he ran, closing the distance quickly. Once he got near, he cut across and swung his blade.

**Ping!**

The boy jumped back again, this time clutching his arm. _That's something I don't want to do again._ He thought as the recoil of hitting the giant blade rocked through his body. He looks up to see the man smirking a bit. Scowling, him mind quickly went to work on a plan. Though he wasn't one for planning things out, he needed to have something in his mind next time he went in for an attack.

Nodding, he rushed in again, swerving towards the opponent. However, once he got near him...

**Boom!**

He increased his speed, kicking up dust as he circled the man. The man still didn't move in response, only looking forward.

**Fwap, fwap, fwap, fwap!**

Red flicked through the air as the boy stopped, skidding away from the man. He smirked as three red lines marked the man's arms. The man's arm was up, the sword no longer stuck in the ground. Ignoring the ringing feeling running through his body, he gripped his sword tighter. He shot at the man once, running in the same pattern once more.

**Boom!**

The boy rolled to the side, barely dodging the massive blade which was swung as him. Quickly getting on his feet, he rushed again. The man gripped the sword with both hands, ready to swing again. The boy smirked, running up to him before using his old strategy again. He circled him again. The wind seemed to be shattered as the sword blasted in his direction. This time, he rolled under it, spinning back to his feet and pointing the sword at the man's neck. The man wasted no time, swinging his sword back at the boy in an attempt to scare him off.

He smirked.

As the sword neared, Sasuke jumped, landing this time on the man's arm instead of the ground. Two steps later, he was perched on his neck with his blade at his throat.

The referee lifted his hand once more, the black and white rag in it this time. "Fight over!"

/**The winner is, Yutaya Ryouhei!**/

Ukita grunted and shook the boy off, putting his sword back on his shoulder before walking off the field. The crowd cheered as the boy stood up, sheathing his sword.

"You can now enter the viewing platform. Once this round is over, you'll be called again for your next match." The referee instructed him, pointing towards a special section.

The boy walked off the field, heading towards the observation area.

Once there, he saw that his match was still one of the first, with the room still being relatively empty compared to the waiting room. Of course, his wasn't anything next to first either. When he entered, a few heads turned to look at him but most remained outside. A couple 'congratulations' floated his way but all other talk in the room was directed at something else.

"So _he_'s here, huh?"

"Can't that guy just take a break for a year?"

"I don't see why you're complaining. If you wanna be the best, you have to beat the best."

The boy listened in to the comments being made, a thought running through his head. _It seems like there's a dangerous person fighting now. If he's as good as they make him sound, I better get a look at this._ He walked over to the railing overlooking the arena, his eyes scanning the four fights.

One fight was between two slim fighters. One leaped into the air with his long, thin sword glistening in the sunlight. He landed quickly and swung his blade with his opponent's neck as the target. The other man rose his own moderately sized blade to block the attack. The recoil sent both of them skidding backwards, before they lunged at each other.  
In another area, what seemed to be a kid was going against an adult. The little boy rushed in, almost blindly swinging his sword. The man easily blocked it, sending the boy reeling backwards. The man pushed forward, thrusting his sword towards the boy with great power. However, it was used against him. The boy squirmed around the thrust, gently tapping the sword to the side and giving him enough room to do his own thrust. The man had all his weight forward and all his power as well so he couldn't do anything but watch.  
The third arena was an odd one. The combatants just stood there, looking at each other. Both had their swords in their hands, but neither moved. It was like two mimes fighting each other, but nether of them wanted to see their move get copied. The men themselves were of two different bodies, one normal height but slightly built with the other being bigger in both muscle and height.

/**The Winner is: Kozato Riru**/

And the fourth match just ended.

However, this did nothing for the boy as one question filled his head. _Who am I supposed to be looking for? _His eyes went over the matches once more. _None of these people seem to be extra dangerous, nor do the fights seem to be anything special. Was it the fight that just ended? Most likely, but I can't say for sure. What if I stay and watch the rest? There's going to be more people who are contenders for the winner._ He stopped, his mind making up a few scenarios. A few played out, then he reached a blockade. _No... With all these fights, I can't remember all nor can I remember everything. All this would do is cause me to think too much... Or would it...?_ He continued watching for a few seconds, before walking away. _Is this tournament style or random? We're still in the preliminaries so I can't say for sure... I don't know who fought after me to think about that..._

The boy went to one of the many available seats and sat down, his hand coming to his head. _There's... too many variables... I can't plan a strategy like this... Maybe... she could..._

* * *

/**Yutaya Ryouhei VS Harume Kaname**/

The got up, heading out. He noticed someone else getting up, but they were much closer to the door and the room was already packed with fighters. As he walked down, the attendant pointed him towards the left area.

"Hiya." A friendly voice came as he entered the area. He looked up to see a slightly tanned skinned teen, probably a couple years older, dressed in a simple white shirt and brown pants. He held his sword casually in his hand, the blade still in it's sheath. He had this... smile on his face. There wasn't anything _wrong_ with it... but a smile. "I saw your last match. You use the Magaru Oro style. Buuuut, the person you learned it from didn't learn it from a master."

The boy rose an eyebrow, a bit surprised by the teen's choice of topic. _Is he going to try and Psych me out?_

"They probably read it in a book or something. You see, the Magaru Oro is usually done with your body lower to the ground, something which isn't portrayed unless you see it for yourself. Plus, if you put a little more smoothness in your swerving and spin a little more while swinging, you'll have a greater effect."

_What's with this guy...? _The boy thought, looking at him. _Doesn't he know that we're opponent's? Why is he telling me this?_

"We need to get this fight started." The referee announced, speaking more specifically to the teen.

"Ah, sorry..." He bowed politely. "Ok, let's have a great match! Maybe someone'll see my Bird style against your Snake style and make a martial art out of it!"

The referee rose his hand. "Alright then... Begin!"

Immediately, Sasuke drew his sword and began moving. He started by slowly circling the teen. The teen only turned with him, keeping him in visual range. The boy gripped his sword tightly, before shooting at him. He cut across, throwing a slash to the teen neck as he moved.

"Ah, you're still too high."

A slight feeling on his head registered and by the time he looked up, the black haired boy only had enough time to see the teen shoes floating through the air.

"I'm not supposed to be able to do that." He said as he landed. He then shrugged. "But, practice does make permanent."

The boy glared, before running off again. He swerved about, before stopping and shooting at him. This time he threw his sword out, lunging at the teen. The movements were fast, but not fast enough. The teen back flipped, easily dodging the lunge and landing on the wall. His didn't stay there for long, as he pushed off right back at Sasuke. He brought his sword up to defend, but felt no resistance. Instead, the teen flew over him and rolled on the floor.

"Oops, almost got myself disqualified." He said, a grin on his face. He drew his sword, the thin blade shining a bit. "Here we go!"

_... What kind of person am I fighting?_ The boy thought as he watched this. _I'm surprised I haven't beaten him yet._

This time, the teen took the offensive. He rushed forward, his blade gently held in his hand. The boy was ready, his blade and waiting for any incoming attacks. However, once the teen got near.

**Fwap!**

He soared over him, flipping over before doing a lunge. The boy rolled over, swinging his sword upwards as he stopped. He shot forward, seemingly straight for the teen. Once he got near, he shot to the side and lunged. The teen leaped backwards before shooting forward with his own lunge. Sasuke's sword came up to block, but once again it met to opposition. The teen was over him again, except this time his sword was barely missing his head.

"At least you're lower now."

The boy scowled a bit, spinning before doing a jump of his own.

"Wrong move."

Before his knew it the teen was in front of him. Was. He went over, before placing his feet on the boy's back. In no time, the boy crashed into the ground, something odd about the way it happened.

_I... couldn't break that fall... Not at all..._ He thought, raising his head to look at the tanned teen.

"Snakes don't belong in the air! I know birds are supposed to be close to reptiles, but aren't you a few thousand years off? Or was it dinosaurs alone?" He stopped, placing his hand on his chin. "Am I even remembering the correct thing? They are related right, or are birds close to fish...?" He continued mumbling to himself, trying to sort out the thought.

_What up with this nutcase? I'm supposed to be done here by now!_ He got up quickly, before rushing at him. He decided to circle this time, holding his blade tightly. He burst at the teen from his side, this time opting to swing instead of thrust.

As always, the teen jumped into the air instead of blocking. However, that seemed to be the wrong move. The boy was in the air too, his sword out and aimed for the neck.

"Aw man, you didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

A foot suddenly found itself on the boy's chest, before throwing him off. Unfortunately for Sasuke, that's not all it did. The teen landed on the ground momentarily, before launching back into the air again. This time, his sword stretched out. The boy quickly brought his sword up to block his neck, but it was futile. The sword completely missed his neck, going right passed it. Instead the teen's hand went into his chest, pushing the two of them into the wall.

"That's enough!" The referee said.

/**The Winner is Harume Kaname!**/

The boy's eyes widened as the words entered his ears. The teen gently let him down having a more pressing issue to deal with.

"Graaah, my sword!" He struggled, putting his feet on the wall. "It's stuck! Aw man..." He let himself dangle, before getting back up and trying again.

"Kaname, don't try a stunt like that again. The only reason you weren't disqualified was before you technically had already won the fight. Next time, use your sword or we'll tie your arm back." The referee called out.

"Will do!" The teen cried out, still struggling with his sword.

The boy slowly began to walk out of the area, still wide eyed.

* * *

_I... I lost._ He thought, walking towards the hotel. _No... Completely defeated... The only reason I'm not dead is because this was a tournament. I blocked my neck, but what if he struck my chest or arm? In fact, what would stop him from just kicking me and boycotting the swordplay altogether...?_ He looked at his sword as he walked, sheathing it. _In the second round... of the preliminaries._

"Yo, duckass." A voice called out. He turned to see a bag hit him square in the face. "We got kicked out." Picking up his bag, he stared at the girl. She in turn pointed at his feet. "Not allowed."

The cat meowed innocently, before going back to rubbing itself on the boy's leg.

"... Let's go." He said, putting the back on his back and starting to walk away. The girl quickly followed, not asking any questions.

* * *

The two walked in silence for some time. Neither or them tried to start conversation, the only sounds coming from the group was the occasional groan from the cat. They were already starting to see trees, having gone through a couple of them.

"... You notice yet?"

"... What?"

"That something _delightful_ is going to happen soon."

**Fwap! Fwap!**

The sound of clashing metal rang through the air as Sasuke appeared in front of Tayuya, his sword out. In front of him were to people, their own swords drawn. Each of them wore a straw hat, blocking their faces.

"How'd you know?" One of them asked.

"Try hiding your presence. I felt your chakra signature for a while now." The girl said loudly.

The pair jumped back, putting a little distance between them.

"Great... More ghosts from my past..." The girl mumbled to herself. "Ok, what did I do to you guys?"

The two looked at each other, before looking back at them. "Do you know her?"

"Not at all. I never even knew red hair was natural." The other one responded.

"Then what are you here for?" The boy spoke up this time, his grip about his sword tightening. "You can't be mere highwaymen."

One of them rose the hand, a sick smile peeking out from under the straw hat. "You." The hand pointed straight at the black haired boy.

"And here I thought I was the bad influence." The red head said. "What'd you do this time?"

"Oh, he hasn't done anything to offend us." One of them said. "It's just that... We saw him fight. What a lousy fake name. Anyone with half a brain could see who you were. An _Uchiha_." The boy almost cringed as he said that. "The last one which isn't an S rank criminal. In fact, you're only registered as a '_Missing Person_'."

The other one took over, taking a step closer. "Imagine what we could get, the kind of money if we didn't bring you in... but sold you to the highest bidder." He licked his lips at the thought, continuing the statement. "Imagine having a clan, or being a noble... And having your very own _Uchiha _child machine! In a few years, you could have your own army, revive a clan, bring an entire village prosperity..." He opened his arms wide. "What price could you put on that? Do you have any idea how many people would sell their entire life and soul for that and a chakra stopping seal?"

The girl lowered her head, her fist shaking. "At first..." She spoke up, starting softly but getting louder. "I was just going to say '_Get lost_'... but after hearing that..." She rose her fist, fire chakra already flowing through it. "I can't seem to shake the urge to beat the shit out of something! And you're my two new training dummies!"

Sasuke looked at her, frozen. He stared into her eyes, seeing something. The way they were filled with a fire, they way they burned...

The two men stepped forward, holding their swords. "We didn't plan on taking you quietly anyway..."

"Good..." The girl burst from behind Sasuke, slamming her fist into the ground between them. A small crater formed, the walls of it slightly steaming. "That way, after I kick your asses I won't have to hear any excuses!"

The two gave each other a quick glance before scattering.

"Wake the hell up duckass!" The girl yelled. "These guys aren't just a yaoi couple."

The boy snapped out of his slight daze, jumping to the girl's side with his sword in hand. "... You gonna be ok?"

The girl scowled as he said that. "After talking all that smack, I better be."

**Fwap!**

The sound of clashing metal rang once again, as one of the appeared, slashing at Sasuke's arm. The boy rose his sword to block, easily stopping the blade.

In no time, the second on was coming in the opposite direction. The girl jumped in his direction, throwing a roundhouse kick while still midair. The man rolled to the side, dodging the kick and swinging his sword at her. She too rolled to dodge, quickly getting back on her feet and assuming her stance. The man groaned, jumping away.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and the other man were clashing blades. The boy was easily keeping his own, quickly stepping to the side to slash his side. The other man jumped away, rejoining his partner.

"This is... annoying..." One of them said.

"Very." The other agreed.

"You're telling me." The girl said out loud, raising her fist. "You guy's haven't even gotten a single hit and you're running already."

The two men looked at each other, before beginning to move quickly again. The girl drifted towards the boy, trying to put their backs together.

However, it didn't really work out. One of them rushed towards her head on, his sword drawn back. She rushed to him, her own fist pulled back. Suddenly, the second one appeared next to her, coming down a slash. She cut to the side, avoiding the slash but falling to the trap. The first was now on the side, his sword in full motion towards her head. Sliding, she pushed off her hand and launched towards him with a kick. This still was ineffective, as the second one elbowed her leg, stopping the kick. He then did his own kick, hitting the girl straight in the stomach and throwing her into a tree.

The two turned their attention to the boy now. The boy cast an eye to the tree the girl was kicked into.

Nothing.

_She's gone...? Where is she...? Could she have..._

The second one vanished as the first one rushed towards him. The man swung in a big arc, the boy easily blocking. That was what they wanted. The second one appeared from the other direction, swinging his sword. The boy jumped, doing a spinning kick as he jumped. The two jumped back, beginning to circle him instead.

_This isn't good. Their teamwork is something else._ He thought. _If I use that jutsu, then run to the side..._

Suddenly, he noticed something odd start to happen. The trees were beginning to change colour. Their green leaves were beginning to change to a brown. The two men seemed to notice it too, but they paid no attention. Instead they began to run towards him.

Suddenly they stopped, their feet stuck in the ground. Unfortunately, so was his.

_Genjutsu._ The boy thought. _I better dispel it before they attack me while I'm caught in it._ He began to concentrate on his chakra.

As he did, one of his senses woke up. His hearing. A low, haunting melody crawled through the air, creeping into his ear. A sigh escaped his lips as he heard it, the genjutsu around him began to dissolve. The trees regained their colour and the men appeared a few feet away from him, lying on the ground.

The girl slowly walked out of the bushes, her flute to her lips and music coming out. She walked towards him, giving a healthy kick to the side to both of them before stopping in front of the boy.

"You were still around?"

She stopped playing, putting the flute back in the holster. "It's not like I'm going to ditch you. Who do you take me for?"

He looked at her for a couple seconds, before shaking his head and turning. "Let's get lost before these guys wake up."

"One more kick?"

"Two more."

"Now you're talking!" The girl ran towards them, giving them two hard kicks before running back to the boy. "I'm good now."

As they walked away, the girl shoved her hands in her pockets and looked away. "Where's your imagination...? Seriously? Yutaya Ryouhei? You just mixed up the syllables in my name!"

"You saw my match?" He asked, looking at her.

She scowled, turning her head and looking away. "Bah, damned town was so boring! Once the tournament started, everywhere closed! Couldn't do a damned thing."

The boy shook his head. "I ask you to play a song for me and you catch me in a genjutsu."

"I'm not fully used to your chakra signature yet. This is the first time I'm doing a serious genjutsu with you in the way, so give me a break. Won't happen again." She replied.

"... You... want to learn a few Katon jutsu...?" He suddenly said, looking at her. "We're not due for a couple days. We can stop in a valley or next to a river, that way nothing will get burned."

The girl stopped and stared at him, a bit bewildered. "Seriously? You're not in a rush to give your ass back to that snake?"

He shrugged. "I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't... give it to you instead."

He suddenly felt something rush into his body. However, the wasn't the only thing he felt. Something soft pressed itself against his cheeks. "Finally!" The girl yelled as she pulled away from him.

"Gah, what is this, a habit?" The boy suddenly said, his voice a lot louder than usual. He didn't even notice but his face changed colour, turning a bit redder than usual.

Her face suddenly lit up, her head turning. "Bah, the hell not! Who'd want to kiss you anyway? You don't even wash your face, it feels like kissing a road!"

"You're the one who did it twice."

"And you're the one who's red like a tomato!"

"Shut up!"

"And since when do you talk so much! And so loud? Are you trying to hide something?"

"Shut up!"

"Awww, you look so cute while you're blushing _Sasuke-kun._"

The boy scowled, shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning to walk away.

"Sasuke-kun! Stop being shy and return the favour!" The girl teased as she caught up to him. She grabbed his arm, pulling herself close to him. "It's rude to keep a girl waiting, you know."

"Bah, leave me alone..." He said, looking away.

But leaving the girl on his arm.

* * *

**Finally! I've been wasting time with this chapter too much. It's about time I finished. I just hope it lives up to your expectations. Though, I won't lie, it's been a while since I typed a chapter so long. Granted, it could have been better if I split this chapter in two but I thought it needed to be one.  
**

**Let me know how the end is for you. I'm not fully confident in it. I also hoped the chapter didn't feel a bit rushed around the middle. Well, my vacation is in three weeks so the next chapter shouldn't take nearly as much time. Hopefully. Now, to pass Physics...  
**


	14. Realizing

**Alright, time to keep my promises. I said the new chapter wouldn't take months, so this one isn't going to take months. **

* * *

**Chapter 14: Realizing**

"Bah, damn shitty piece of crap ass, asshat, bitchy…"

"You know, it's normal for that to happen. I even got it."

"Really?"

"No. Got it on first try."

"Shit you, duckass! Gaah! You did that on purpose!"

More curses floated into the air as the boy applied bandages to the girl's left arm. He finished quickly, though his work was anything but well. The girl paid no attention to it however, fully away that she would have probably made it worse if she worked on it.

The girl flexed her arm, moving her fingers as she inspected his work. Deeming it good enough, she shrugged it off and put her arms behind her head. "This was the best, mission, EVER! I actually learn something, wasn't mad the whole time AND I got to see you get your ass handed to you."

The boy looked down, realising something. "Orochimaru's… not going to be happy."

"Yeah… And you better not lie." She warned.

"Why not? Think I can't tell a lie?"

"It's not that." She started to explain. "The snake is paranoid. He probably sent a couple goons to the competition to watch and tell him themselves. I know he actually got some slaves to attack me on my first mission, just to show my loyalty."

He scowled, shaking his head. "… That's good to know…"

The girl's smile turned to a scowl, before she turned her head. "Kiss my ass."

"…What?" The boy asked, his eyebrow rose.

"That's what you need to tell him." She looked at him, moving her hands in front of her and forming a fist. "You need to stand up tall, put on that damned arrogant look you always have and say _'Kiss my ass snake! I'm no god, you can't expect me to perform miracles!'_"

The boy remained silent, only looking down. "…"

The girl sighed, turning her head again. "Ok, look. You can't expect to be the best. Everyone's not good at something and there's always someone better than you at something."

"So then why even try?" He spoke up, an odd tone in his voice. "If he's always going to be better, why even try?"

"This is gonna sound like the cheesiest thing I've ever said… But…" She paused, looking the boy dead in his eyes. "Because you have a team."

"… Team…?"

"That's how you become the best. Have the best team. Have people to back you up, to always have your back, to be good in whatever you're not… That way, you can just trust them and believe in them to get all your goals accomplished." She stared at her fists, memories coming back. "Admittedly, I'm the worst damn person to tell you this since I practically danced when my team died but… I'm starting to see it now."

"See what?"

"True teamwork." She answered. "Not being forced to work with someone and not being used by someone either. When people come together with a common goal, common determination and common soul." The girl stopped looking over her shoulder. "We both saw what happened both times we've gotten jumped. The guys worked in unison, almost beating us the first time. The only reason we come out unscathed was because they slipped. They forgot about Genjutsu, they got cocky and loosened up… If they didn't…"

"But we won." Sasuke said, stopping and looking at the girl. "Then what does that make us? What are we?"

She held out her hand, a small smile coming to her face. "A lucky team. And one that isn't half bad. For starters, at least we aren't beating the shit out of each other. Often."

He stared at the hand, his own starting to move.

"Just hurry up and hold my hand, damn it. You're starting to ruin the mood." She reached forward, grabbing his hand and shaking it. "After all, I'm on your team. You should be bouncing off the trees by now."

* * *

The two made their way back into Otogakure except… It wasn't the same path as before. The two went to a completely new base, one not even the girl was familiar with. Of course, she had some knowledge about it but she was never there in person. It was similar to the first base, but bigger. Much bigger. In fact, it was closer to an actually village, not a base. The streets were wider, the above ground buildings were bigger and there was a large, wide open space like a meeting area or Town Square. It seemed like the base was what qualified the region to be called 'Otogakure' and participate in the Chuunin Exams.

Underground, the base was near exact to the same. The walls were the same, though the layout was a bit different.

Once the boy entered the town, the girl found some way to sneak in, he was directed to the main office immediately.

He made his way down to the underground, following the sketchy directions given to him by the guard. All the way while he walked, his mind was moving.

… _He won't be pleased that I lost… Neither am I. What's pi-… What makes it worse was that I acknowledge the loss. I don't even think that if I used my Sharingan I would have won… His moves were fast, fluent, precise and well done. _He looked at his hands, which were shaking. _But… If I was with her…_

"**Coming here, you have accepted one thing. Bonds, friends, trust… All that is meaningless. The only thing other people are good for, is being tools." The snake was lecturing the boy, something he only vaguely listened to but it was still said. "And a tool is a tool. One tool does not work better when with another. Two kunai stuck together is not better than one. In fact, it would be worse. This means that the only person to believe in, or trust is yourself. You are the only thing that can make yourself better. You are the only one who can aid yourself. And finally like any other tool, once a person's usefulness has expired, there's nothing more to do than… throw them away."**

_I learned that, just coming here I accepted that. Or had I?_ _If I did… why am I thinking this? Why did I lose? Why… am I filled with doubt?_

**Bam!**

His hands quickly turned into fists and slammed into the stone wall next to him. The slight throb of pain was ignored, as it was obvious that it was come.

_Why does that girl always make things worse? Why does she always cause problems in my life…?_

"How can you read in this light?" The words came out of his mouth before he could even think. Now she was infecting his body.

"What did you say? Have more respect!" A second voice said.

The office was barely lit as usual, but he failed to notice the second presence in the room. From the voice, he knew it was Kabuto but… That man could be more slippery than Orochimaru when he made up his mind. That and he seemed like a walking contradiction. A loyal betrayer? The healing killer? The perceptive man with eye issues? Something just never seemed right about him.

Apart from Kabuto, Orochimaru sat behind his famed cluttered desk. The room was bigger, though you could only tell from the way your voice bounced off the walls. The candle burned dimly on top the table, showing the bookcase and… what seemed to be a map on the wall. There were other things but the man behind the chair had top priority.

The air in the room instantly got thicker and the boy's legs felt like they were doing more work than they were supposed to. "… How was the competition…?"

_You're bad at hiding your thoughts._ He thought at first, before remembering the girl's warning. The man didn't seem to be one to be fond of games or sidetracks. "… I lost."

"Why?" He shot immediately.

That was the question he was hoping not to hear. He was being trained into a strong, smart and most importantly arrogant person. Saying '_He was better than me._' would get him into more trouble than lying and saying something insane like…

"You got distracted, didn't you?"

His mind stopped as the man produced his own answer. _Too calculating for your own good. I didn't even have to think up a lie._ "… What makes you say that…?"

"Why else would you lose?" The man said in return. "I trained you, there is not way something is wrong with my training and there is no way some dog off the street beat you."

_Asshat, he was a bird._ Why was she in his head? "… You were watching me."

"So you lost to some worthless garbage?" The man got up, the air getting thicker. A hint of anger was in his voice but it wasn't the only thing. Desperation. "What are you waiting for? What are you letting distract you? Where is your hatred, where is your anger? Don't you want to be the strongest? Don't you want to kill him?"

He remained silent. _Always back to him…_

"Get serious again boy. In this rate, you will be nothing compared to him."

_Compared to him…_

"He will defeat you. You will not be able to even lay a finger on him."

_I will not be able to touch him…_

"And you will never avenger your family. You will never be as good as him."

_As good as him…_

"Now get out. We will train more seriously tomorrow." He waved the boy out, sitting back at his desk and going back to one of the many books on his table.

Silently, Sasuke turned as left.

"… Your plan is going quite well."

"Is it Kabuto? Do you believe so?"

"That's what it seems like."

"Hmpt. Only time will tell."

* * *

"Tayuya-chaaaaaaan!"

Brown wrecked into the girl, almost knocking her off her feet.

"I missed you!"

"Bah, I was gone like, a week!" She growled.

"But it was a long week without Tayuya-chan…"

**Bam!**

"Itaiii…" The boy mumbled, rubbing his head.

"Stop touching there!" The girl yelled, her fist smoking from the impact. "I already know I'm ruined for marriage, but that doesn't mean you can have all the fun you want there!"

"It wasn't purpose…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, right…" She rolled her eyes. "And I'm the freaking King of Konoha." Her face softened a bit. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Just stop that, ok?"

The boy stared at her for a few moments, before speaking. "When'd Tayuya-chan learn to make such a cute face…?"

The girl's face lit up and her hands quickly came up. "A-Ah! Quit saying crap like that, damn it! Don't make me punch you again!"

This time, his hands came up. "Ok, ok."

The boy looked around the corridor. It was empty. Like the Kumogakure base, this one's halls were always empty (from three or so days of observation). But unlike the other base, this was because everyone just stayed above ground. With the base being bigger and more developed, there reason to do anything other than sleep in the lower levels and hence at certain times in the day you could walk wherever you wanted and not encounter anyone.

The boy's face turned a bit serious. "I have a little news for you. Important news."

Tayuya raised an eyebrow. It was odd for the boy to lose the goofy look he always had on his face, so it must have been something good. "Important news?"

"There's a bit of unrest in the base." He began reporting, his voice significantly lower than usual. "We all know that we don't have the most stable lifestyle in the world, but three moves in such a short period of time have gotten people uneasy. To add to it, some people are starting to suspect the reason is Uchiha-san and are beginning to have doubts about Orochimaru as a leader."

The girl nodded, taking it all in. "How'd you get this information?"

"Just walking around. Everyone's talking about it, though the guards have started to stop that kind of talk."

She nodded again, the gears in her mind moving. _That would mean that the people are starting to want something more from Orochimaru… Like someone who's not Orochimaru. They're already starting to see his lack of interest in them so that's a good thing. This only thing plaguing me is the people… I don't want to cater to those who are criminals who only want to kill, steal or rape. There must be some good people here…_

"How good are you at gathering information?" She asked, looked at him.

"The worst!" He grinned as he gave thumbs up.

The urge to slap herself came to Tayuya as she actually thought of what she asked. "Of course you're no good at that! You couldn't even steal a flute!"

"But that was stealing! And wrong!"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Fine. I'll handle get the information. Just don't worry yourself or do something stupid enough to get yourself caught by the guards."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

The girl got up, dusting herself off. "I don't know. I have to give them some time before I can go visit the new slaves. They'll be checking their… 'usefulness' now."

"Maybe we should see how Uchiha-san is doing?" The boy got up as well.

"Call him Sasuke." She said. "He'd prefer that."

"Really? I thought I was being rude by calling him Sasuke-san and he got mad at me." The boy explained as he moved towards the girl.

The girl scowled. "Mad at you…? Him…?" She stayed silent for a while before turning. "OK then, let's have a tour of upstairs then! I haven't actually been here yet so I better learn my way. After all, I'll need a way to sneak out to train."

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!"

**Bam!**

"Now where the hell's my food you bitch."

The door swung open, to a room in darkness. An eyebrow rose, but the girl still walked in and closed the door behind her. However, nothing came afterward. She knew the boy was in the room, she could sense his chakra, but he did nothing.

"What? No comeback? No sigh?"

"… Not now…"

She stepped forward. "That time of the month? I got some pain killers for that."

"… I'm not in the mood."

She followed the sound of his voice, finding her foot knocking a bed. "The snake pissed you off or something? If it'll make you feel better, I say we throw him into the ocean."

"… We… don't live near the ocean."

The girl laughed. "That's the fun of it! We get to beat him up, tie him and torture him until we get there!"

Nothing came back as she laughed awkwardly. Sighing, she dropped onto the bed and leaned back. Her back stopped on something, seeming to be his back.

"… Get lost."

"No. Now get used to it." She responded.

A growl came from behind her, causing a smirk to come to the girl's lips. She slowly began leaning back, pushing him more and more forward. A groan came behind her as her body straightened up.

"What's wrong? Mad?"

"… You're being annoying…"

"No, you're being a bitch." She retorted. "Now get that stick out of your ass, its making you act weirder than usual."

The room remained silent for some time, before the boy spoke again. "I'm… not acting weird."

"Shut the hell up." She spat, folding her arms. "As much as neither of us may want to admit it, we know each other well enough to tell when something's wrong. Now spill it."

Again, silence came. It took a while for it to be broken. "… Why… do you care?"

"Because, I don't want any excuses next time we spar and I kick your ass." She smirked as she said that, ready for the comeback. She continued to add fuel to the fire, throwing one more comment. "Now hurry up before that 'spar' happens in a couple of minutes."

However, the opposite happened. More silence. For sure now, the girl knew something was up. By now, his flame would have been lit and the two would either be trading insults or trading blows. But now he just sat there, in the darkness.

"What did Orochimaru tell you?" Something seemed to click in her mind, piecing things together. The snake was known for being able to push people's buttons and apparently, he got Sasuke's.

"He piss you off or something?" She asked.

"… The other way around."

The girl growled, ready to hit him. "Seriously? Are you serious? You piss him off and YOU get depressed!"

"I'm not depressed."

"Then what the hell are you?" She yelled, honestly beginning to get fed up. The boy was beating around the bush too much for her liking.

"… He spoke of my brother." The boy finally said.

This time, the girl remained silent for a while. "Ok, who's this 'brother' he spoke of? I've never heard you speak of family before."

"He's the reason why." The boy responded.

"Finally, some progress…" The girl muttered to herself, before turning back to him. "Now spill it, what's your story?"

"Why should I tell you? It's not like you've been open about your story."

"Simple. I have no story." She said bluntly. "Had a family: got killed, lived on the streets: almost got raped too many times to count, got found by Orochimaru: curse mark, kill, blah blah blah and here we are. Not really the best campfire story ever."

The boy sighed, waiting for a few moments. After an elbow smashed into his ribs, he decided that he wasn't in the mood for a fight. Especially when he felt like he would lose…

"I lived with the rest of the Uchiha Clan. My father was the Head and my brother was next in line. He would hang out with me sometimes, but he always had work to do and would tell me 'Sorry, next time'."

While the boy spoke of his past, the girl sat and listened. Knowing nothing of him, the snake preferred to keep his minions in the dark about his plans, she was a bit surprised by his circumstances. She expected him to be more like her, except not on the streets. It was in fact the opposite.

"He had killed the entire clan before leaving. I was powerless to stop him…" He paused, a mixture of feelings radiating off the boy. "Not too long ago, I saw him again. He… beat me down."

"And all you hear now is 'your brother this…' or 'your brother that' or 'blah your brother blah'." The girl spoke.

"Hn." He grunted. "All I've lived is 'Avenge your clan', 'Kill your brother', 'Hate him with all your heart'…"

"So what if your brother beat you! He's older than you. Give it a couple years and you'll be beating the crap out of him. I mean, you… er… well… You were in the finals of the chuunin exam! I bet the only reason you didn't pass was because Orochimaru messed the exam up!" She laughed nervously, after scrambling to find a compliment. She really wasn't good at this kind of thing.

"He was ANBU at twelve." The boy deadpanned.

The girl almost coughed up a lung, blurting out the first thing which came to her mind. "What kind of monster is he?"

"He's not a monster!" The boy suddenly snapped.

_Why… did I say that…? He is a monster, he killed the entire clan… So why am I suddenly defending him?_

"Why are you defending him?" The girl asked. "Isn't he a monster? Didn't he kill your clan?"

"… He did."

"So why defend him? You should hate him, loathe him, get filled with rage every time you hear the work 'brother'."

"I do-"

"So why aren't you?"

"I -"

"But you aren't."

"I kno-"

"But you're not. Where's your anger? Where's your rage? What wrong with you, huh? Why aren't you cursing your brother? Why aren't you spewing out your hatred for him?"

"Because…"

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Why?"

"Be-"

"Why?"

"Because I don't hate him!" He yelled, finally snapping.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." The girl let a small smirk come on her face as the boy snapped again.

"I said I don't hate him!" he yelled again, his fists balling. "All I've ever felt was everyone else's hate for him. The villagers probably hated him, the ninja hated him, my father hated him, the clansmen hated him, Orochimaru hates him… But now… I'm not so sure I do…" He paused, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "All I feel now… disappointed. I feel like I've been used, like everyone else is using him as an excuse to get me to something…"

_I haven't even gotten revenge yet and I already feel empty. You were right… sensei._

The girl sat with their backs resting, remaining silent as the boy thought.

She suddenly perked up, turning to him. "We'll go see him."

Sasuke stopped, turning to look at the girl for the first time since she entered. "You are insane."

She scowled, holding his shoulders. "Come on! That's what you need to do. See him, with no ill feelings towards him."

It was now Sasuke's turn to scowl. "You… are insane. He will kill me."

"No, he won't. You'll have me there for protection." After getting the stare that was sent her way, she changed her reason. "_And_, I don't think he wants to kill you. If he did, he would have done it by now."

The boy silence told her that he was now on the fence.

"So it's settled then! Next time we go on a mission, we're gonna do a little… sidequest."

"I'm telling you… This isn't a good idea."

She scowled, her grip on his shoulders tightening. "And I'M telling YOU, we're going to meet your brother. End of discussion. Now smile and nod before I beat the shit out of you so hard, your brother comes running after hearing your girly cries."

He opened his mouth to object, but closed it seeing the look in her eyes. "Tch, stubborn."

"Damn right I am." She got up, giving the boy a hard slap on the back. "Now get up, take a bath and put on that annoying look you always have on your face. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry."

On that note she left, leaving the boy still sitting in darkness.

The boy sat and looked at the door, mildly annoyed by the stinging in his shoulder but the pain felt kind of… good.

"I'm actually going to go with Tayuya and find my brother…" He dropped back, looking at the ceiling. "… I am the insane one… Because I want to do it."

* * *

"Tayuya, former member of the Sound Four." A voice suddenly said. "Former Elite guard to Orochimaru and one of the first four people to attain Level Two of the Curse Mark. A flute-genjutsu user, currently learning Katon and Taijutsu. Also harbours illegal animals."

The girl turned around, seeing a figure resting on the wall behind her. His hair was dull black, falling lifelessly on the right half of his face. A small, rectangle pair of glasses slipped out from the hair and over his green eye. He wore the Oto uniform, though his was short sleeved. His foot rested on the wall and his head barely faced her direction.

The girl turned around, her mind beginning to race as the man revealed a few _too _many details about her. "Who the hell are you?"

"Orimura Kota." The man said. "Your Intel specialist."

* * *

**Yeah, this chapter isn't as long as they usually are, but last chapter was extra long so it should cancel out. I hope you liked the chapter, though I'm beginning to wonder about Sasuke after seeing the manga. **

**On the more humorous side, I noticed two things while typing this chapter. 1: I had a plan for the chapter names. They were supposed to make a song or something like that, but after the third chapter I forgot and continued normally. A bit late to restart now though. Also, I have an insane error in a chapter. I spelt '**_**Hajime**_**' horribly wrong. Looking at it, I wondered how that just didn't seem like the wrong spelling at the time, but I guess I was feeling lazy.**


	15. Select your Characters

**Not as quickly as the last one. I know, there have been a few things keeping me back. Most notably my PC doing whatever the hell it wants these days (I'm beginning to believe a troll hacker is involved) but I also haven't had the time I hoped. I was doing some special training on nights, so I couldn't. However, that's gone (the training) so I have time again.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Select your Characters  
**

"Like I said, the hell are you?"

He clenched his fist. "Like I said, your Intel specialist." His fist relaxed and he rested on the wall. "Or would you just prefer 'someone who tells you stuff'?"

The girl's eyebrow rose, her arms folding as she looked at the man. "And why would I need you?"

The man ran his hand through his hair, taking out his glasses and exposing his eyes for a brief moment. "Why wouldn't you need me? After all, your good friend 'recommended' that I see you."

Her eyes narrowed, her mind trying to process who could have possibly – "You mean that guard idiot?"

He turned away, hunching over a little. "Well… you don't need to say it like that…" The hunch disappeared, instead his chest puffing out and his gaze narrowing on the girl. "Besides! He's determined, you know!"

"You're telling me…" She scratched the back of her head, remembering the man. She then turned away from him. "But, that still doesn't change anything."

"I don't know what you're talking to me for. I can't help you do anything except die."

A groan came, the man suddenly appearing next to her, his glasses back on and his hands wringing. "Oh, but you do! You're just playing hard to get!"

"Can't play 'hard to get' if you're a lesbian." The girl deadpanned, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"Hohoho! So that's your interests!" Now he was next to her, his cheeks a bit red. "Maybe you'll reconsider if I tell you about my lady friend…"

She stopped, a low growl creeping out of her throat. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Annoyance not so lightly lacing her voice. "You're like some kind of world class fruit basket! How many fake façades are you going to put on before you get it? I'm not planning anything and have no need for you!"

The man snorted, leaning forward and glaring at the girl. "You're the fruit basket! How do you expect to do anything by yourself, huh? You're just going to walk in and bitch slap everyone?"

Tayuya stopped, her gaze falling to the ground. She knew it was true, her mind slapping her for trying to deny it. There was no way she could do anything by herself and that included recruit people. With only herself, it would be easier for a spy to slip in or even for chaos and disorder to spread in her ranks.

Her hands tightened as she felt a slight ping in her heart. _I'm going to have to make a new team… I can't believe that I'm feeling something for those losers, Sound Four my ass…_ _We hated each other more than anything… Maybe now it won't be just a team…_

"… You a spy?"

"Truth be told, this is too much work for a spy." He yawned, letting the words roll out lazily. "This would have probably scared you off and you'd start avoiding me."

She turned, staring at the man. "T…True." _He's actually not a complete idiot._ She thought a bit shocked that someone other than her, and that damned pineapple, could hold a proper thought process. "But, how can I trust you?"

"Trust you say?" He leaned in, a grin slowly crossing his face. "Random person."

"Akhito…" She scowled as she realised something. "I don't even know his last name!"

"Challenge accepted!" The man announced enthusiastically. "I'll get you information on _your _Akhito without talking to him, that way you'll know my skills."

She folded her arms, a smirk coming onto her face. "What's stopping you from going to Orochimaru for this?"

"How about I tell you something that only the two of you should know?"

"Deal."

"I'll be off then!" He skipped along, humming a happy tune as he made his way out of the girl's sight.

She watched in slight amusement, a chuckle coming from her lips. "It's always the weirdoes with me… First the weirdo with the duck shaped hair, then the weirdo who is way too clingy and now the weirdo with multi-personality syndrome." She shook her head, continuing to the outside. "But… at least they aren't boring."

* * *

The girl was walking down the main road of the upper level. The base was much bigger than the rest. In fact, it could even be called a small village. There was a main square, which lied at the centre. Around it, small districts were formed. The business district: mostly filled with vendors, stores and salespersons, the… entertainment district with mostly… entertaining stuff and compulsories: water system, food and electricity. Aside from this, the base was livelier. By this time of day, everyone was out in full force. People were out, talking, laughing, quarrelling…

She looked around, raising an eyebrow at the new base. _This place really is different. _She thought, examining the area. _It's much bigger than any other base we've been at. Why…?_

People were relaxing by the side of the road and she even saw one or two restaurants on her way to the mess hall. They were louder than before, with a more relaxed atmosphere. Of course, there was still a bit tension. Guards were positioned more regularly, though sometimes their 'post' was also their hangout.

_There are actually restaurants here? Before liquor used to be black market, but it seems like that's beginning to change._ She reported. _He's trying to make here more… bearable. The choice of how to make a living, no more closed up spaces, less restriction on people and their… fun. The real question is… why?_

She walked into the mess hall, which was almost deserted. The silence and emptiness was new, but it didn't bother her. She could use some alone time.

After saying a soft 'itadakimasu', she began to eat quietly. However, her mind wasn't the same way.

… _I can't lie, I'll need some people. Some good people. I never gave it any thought before, figured I could just rally the slaves and experiments but… they're not even all in stable condition and Orochimaru was smart enough to damage their minds first. _She swallowed some food, trying to concentrate more. _But how do I choose? How can I tell if the person is trustworthy or will live up to the cause?_ She groaned, eating faster. _Plus, I even have to make sure that I don't let any wimps in, least they crack and squeal. _

**Bam!**

She slammed her head into the table, groaning. _Damn it… I need some help… Some good, trustworthy help._

Leaving the mess hall, the girl had her eyes peeled for someone, anyone who looked competent. However, with characters like the ones she was once paired up with being normal here, it wouldn't be easy. Everyone seemed to be a bit shady, to have a certain aura around them.

However, a book has pages for a reason. The same way anyone couldn't be trusted, anyone could be trusted. You never know who, with a little motivation, could want to be rid of the snake.

She looked over the groups of people, no one escaping her view. Her eyes stopped on a particular group. They seemed less… dangerous looking than the others in the area. It was comprised of three men and one woman. Dressed in the Oto attire, the only distinguishing features about them from the girl's distance were the different hair styles and colours. Two men had brown hair, the other black and the woman's hair was blonde.

They seemed to be sitting around, having a jovial conversation. Laughs and jokes spewed from the table, making it seem like a more welcoming. That was before…

"Oh my!" The woman said. "Starting a bit early, are we?"

The man's hand was firmly grasping her butt, both the black haired man and the woman smiling.

He squeezed, pulling her tighter. "You know me, the earlier the better."

Tayuya quickly averted her eyes, not wanting to see anymore. _Ok, I'm not going to those guys. _A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of the idea of the man's big, partially hairy hand holding on to her rear. _No no no no no no NO! No way am I going by those hentai! At least do that kind of thing in private!_

Walking down the street a bit more quickly, lest they notice that she was watching and invite her, she scanned the crowds more.

Another group caught her eye. They were a bit younger than the first set, though they managed to look even scruffier. This group was a bit bigger, having five people: three males and two females. One of the men was without his shirt, his impressive chest and abs exposed. Apart from that, his hair was short and brown. One of the other's rolled his sleeves up but had a cap covering his head while the last one's black hair fell messily over his left eye. The first woman had long brown hair which reached down to her back. She wore the Oto headband like a necklace and had a jacket. The other one's hair was a short ponytail and regular camouflage.

They were having a rather loud conversation, though it did seem to be a little heated. It was mainly between two of the men, the shirtless one and the one with the cap. The others added comments every now and again, but the two kept the lead.

_These guys seem a bit… out of my league… _She mentally slapped herself, shaking her head before looking at them again. _Focus. I need some way to get into the conversation without it seeming weird._ Her mind began to formulate a plan. Maybe she could go talk to one of them, pull them aside and then…

"Shut up."

"Shut up? You want _me_ to shut up?"

**Bam!**

The man with the cap was on the floor, his hand holding his jaw.

"That's how it's going to be, huh?" He said, looking up at the shirtless man.

**Bam!**

He was up on his feet, his fist in the other one's stomach. Shirtless barely winced before returning with a punch of his own.

"Take him down!"

"Let's see who's boss!"

The girl quickly turned and walked away from the growing centre of attention. She couldn't help but look down at her arms as she walked away. _No way I can beat up people for them to work with me. I'm just learning to fight._

She stopped as she noticed a group. They were two or three years older than her. It was a small group, though they didn't look pleased at all. The girl wasn't familiar with them at all, wondering if they were new recruits or slaves who were recently converted.

One of them sat with his mask off and his arms folded. His hair was white and fell loosely on his head. He seemed to be the most unpleased.

"The hell does he think he's doing? Making a couple beers legal and giving people more places to have public sex? Does he think that makes him a good leader? Does he think that this will make people be more obedient?"

Already he had one new people who wanted to talk to him. This guy seemed like the kind she needed to help her. He seemed like a 'people person', someone who could draw you in to listen to them and even better… Someone who knew what they were talking about, not someone who was just spewing drunk crap!

Before she knew it, she was walking across the road to talk to them. Luckily, the nearby guard was taking more than a couple shots of alcohol.

However, as he saw her, he stopped talking. All they did was look at her.

Expected, after all she did cross the road. And she didn't recognise anyone. And she should have thought of a plan first… But no matter! Determination flowed through her veins as she stopped in front of them.

"What do _you _want?" He immediately asked, ice lacing his voice.

Her first instinct was to snarl at him. But, that's why she didn't have people skills. Shoving her instincts aside, she tried her best NOT to scowl. "I just want to talk to you guys. People my age are rarer than virgins here." And it was hard.

"I have nothing to say to you." He quickly responded, looking away.

She bit back the urge to punch him. The way he spoke, acted and even looked at her made her blood boil. _Damn it… How a guy who can talk so much make it easy to feel like punching him._ "Relax, would you?"

"Why should I, after all it is _you_ that I'm talking to. I'm sure you heard what we were saying earlier." He responded, deciding to send a glare at her instead.

She clenched her fist, trying to do anything to keep herself from attacking the guy. Why was he being so stubborn? He wasn't even giving her a chance to ask for him name. "I…" Oh hell. "The hell is your problem, huh?" She yelled, stepping closer to him and shoving her face close to his. "I'm not even asking about that and you're doing is acting like a bitch!"

"_You_'re the one with the problem!" He turned to glare at her dead in the eyes. His eyes were cold, uncaring and even ruthless. "Do you know who you are? Tayuya, former member of the Sound Four, probable leader of the new 'Orochimaru Lapdog Team'."

It was only then when it hit her. It was true.

It wasn't everyone else who couldn't be trusted. In fact, anyone else could be trusted. It was SHE who couldn't be trusted. She used to be one of the head honchos in this place and probably was singlehandedly responsible for more than a quarter of the unwilling population being there. She used to kill for him, she used to trap for him, she used to destroy for him… Hell, when he first picked her up she would have probably wiped his ass for him if he asked. And she expected people to trust her? _Her_?

She gaze weakened, before she broke eye contact. Shame began to fill her, suddenly feeling like she just made the worst decision in the world by talking to him.

"If you think you can fool me, or get me to say something that will get me grilled, think again. I am nothing more than a good enough citizen of Otokagure." He said, folding his arms and looking at her.

The girl slowly let her head fall, before beginning to walk away. "Fine… Be that way…" She muttered, though she knew he heard.

"…Do you think…?" One of his friends asked.

"No. She's One hundred years too early to think that I'd believe her."

* * *

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" She yelled, slamming her fist on a wall. "Everything in my life is so jacked up!"

She was back underground. Why? She couldn't stand to be up on the top with everyone else. His words pierced her, cut her deep. They made her feel dirty, soiled… unusable.

"I live most of my life, screwing it and everyone else's up… And now I can't even do anything about it!" She bit her lip. No, not going to cry, not going to show any tears… No. No. "It's like I'm blacklisted now, like nothing I do can make mends for what I've done… Like all I'll ever be is 'Orochimaru's dog'."

She slammed her fist into the wall once again. The pain which came along with it almost felt soothing at the time, like it was right for her to constantly be in pain.

She gave a sad laugh, shaking her head as she let herself fall to the ground. "I wish my life wasn't so perfect…"

"I'm assuming now isn't a good time."

She turned her head, to see the fruit basket standing next to her.

"Speaking frankly, depending on what you tell me you may have saved me from committing Seppuku."

"Alright. Akhito, Height: between 5 foot 8 and 11. Weight: No more than 150 pounds. Hair: Brown Relatives: Brother, Parents unknown. Occupation: Medical Student. And something only you guys know…"

"That time he caught you masterb—,"

The man suddenly found himself on the floor, the girl on top of him with her fists clenched. Anger radiated off her as she yelled at him. "The hell did you just say? Finish that word and I finish you!" She stopped, her eyes widening.

"So, did I pass?"

She stopped, rolling off the man. "Yeah, you passed. If you were a Spy, you would have gotten good information. All this just sounds like that crap he would answer."

"Exactly." The man answered. "Because, any smart person would have tried to get the most accurate and detailed information. However, that would have given me away since there's only one place to get detailed information like that."

"Orochimaru's records."

"So, I just asked him."

"Figured as much." She replied. "You cheated. But, that was the purpose of this anyway. That doesn't mean you're not a spy, but good enough."

"You seem… troubled." He looked at her, coming to a sitting position. "My ear is yours."

"I'm beginning to wonder whether I should just give up." She admitted. Her gaze went to the ground and she hunched over even more, her ego taking a blow as she admitted her weakness. "Whether I should just run off on my own and not try to be a hero."

"Hmm…" He thought for a moment, bringing his hand to his chin. "I don't know." He shrugged as he answered with a smile.

"Useless shit." The girl retorted.

He pouted, sniffing a few times. "Do… Do you really have to be so?"

She grunted. "I'm just… pissed." She sighed, slamming her fist into the wall again. The pain didn't even matter. In fact, it almost felt good to hurt herself. "I don't feel like its right for me to just leave, especially since I had a major role in this place. But… I really the one who should do this? No one trusts me, everyone thinks that I'll just double-cross them…"

"Since when were you so weak?"

And the self pity was gone, instantly replaced with a boiling anger. The girl tensed, her fist clenching. "I'm not weak."

"But that's how you're acting." He retorted. "Did you need people's approval to kill them?"

"The hell asks for that? And what kind of idiot says yes?"

"But you still did it anyway."

She stopped, pausing for a moment.

"So why do you want it now? You're no hero anyway, so why want the praise of one?"

She focused for a bit. It was true. She would never be treated as a hero, given praise and applause. But… That didn't mean her work wasn't worthwhile. She's used to going without any sign of approval apart from not being dead… Why soften up now? She sat up, looking at the man. "You're no nutjob."

The man only tilted his head, his eyebrow raised.

"Your personalities… They're purpose. You keep changing it, finding the right one to the situation." She said, looking at him. "I bet you're just fooling around with me, waiting for me to get it. But, if this was information gathering, you would have taken one look or just feel the situation and pick the right one. Look, you even strung me back into gear." She swung onto her feet, getting up. A new vigour began to build inside of her, her flames beginning to burn brighter and hotter.

"Come on Lieutenant. I've got a couple things to discuss."

"We'll need a room then." He said, looking around. "After all, we can't be discussing things now."

The two got up and the girl shoved her hands into her pockets and pulled out a scroll. "This is something I thought up."

"I'm not really a 'plan' kind of person." Kota said, scratching the back of his head. "Was never good at things like 'chess' or even checkers."

The girl groaned in disappointment as she shoved it back into her pockets. "Never mind then."

"So, that's about it? Pretty anticlimactic for a rebel group."

"Speaking honestly, I'm still trying to put a group together." The girl explained as she walked. "I can't really do much on my own, so until then I can just scheme or do little things…"

"Alright then, give me a walkthrough of your plan. No spoilers please." He said, skipping alongside the girl. "You may think of something that may help speed your plan along."

The girl nodded, seeing the point in what the man was saying. "Ok then, the first one…"

"First?"

"Yeah. Only a fool doesn't come up with a plan B."

* * *

"Your plan is on a collision course." Kota said in a deadpan expression.

The girl scowled, groaning as she walked next to him. "Thanks for your support _lackey_."

The man shrugged, tilting his head. "But in all honesty, you can't expect that to work as things are. Even a complete anti-strategist like me can tell you that." His blatant opinion worsened the girl's mood. "You need help. Maybe a 'figure head' type or someone who could rally people."

The girl remained silent, her mind already where his was. "I… I know someone who fits the bill."

"But…?"

"He'd sooner stab himself than even have a proper conversation with me." She responded, looking up at the stony ceiling. "I would have you talk to him, but he won't help me for the life of day."

The girl let her statement drop, her mind working as she replayed her words in her head over. The gears began to move and a smile slowly crept onto the girl's face.

"So… he won't be helping me then." That got that man's attention, his eyebrow raising as she looked at him. "I'll send you, with your personality problems. You'll act like a mastermind, proposing to him a plan. You'll tell him to spearhead the human resource part while you handle the plans."

"This is plan… is not my favourite." He responded.

"Potholes. I know. We'll have to run with it, cause the longer we wait the higher the chances of failure."

The man sighed, shaking his head. "I should have known it would have been something like this." He then stopped, puffing his chest out and putting his hands on his hips. "But, that only makes the adventure more fun!"

"Just keep me informed, OK? The guy's a couple years older than me, with white hair."

"That's it?"

"He wouldn't even talk to me, far less tell me his name."

Groaning, he turned. "You always have to make things difficult. I've got to sell myself to two people in one day. That's a drag…"

"I trust you, you'll get it done." She said before she could even think.

The man gave a little wave before leaving.

As she walked, her mind nagged her over something she said. _Trust… Do I really trust him? _

* * *

A yawn escaped the girl's mouth as she entered the room. The lights were off, showing that the boy was probably already sleeping.

"Man, some sleep would hit the spot right about now. As long as my memories don't be a bitch…" She threw off her shirt, leaving herself only in her bra. Her pants flew next.

_I'll get it in the morning._ She told herself as she moved to the bed. _Damn, recon without getting caught is annoying. Why is this base so much of a damn secret anyway?_ She shoved the thought aside, focusing more on getting to the bed without falling on the floor.

She slipped in, resting her head on the pillow. As she pulled her last part under the covers, warmth flooded her body. She almost felt like just staying awake to bask in it, but sleep called a little bit more.

_This bed smells… nice today._ She thought, trying to get comfortable on the pillow.

As she started to drift off, warmth swallowed her more and more… especially around her waist…

"What the…?" She mumbled, opening her eyes and paying attention to what was in front of her. "Wha…? Wha…?"

"KYYYAAAAAAAA!"

**Bam!**

"The hell were you doing you damn jackass, dipshit, loser, duckass?"

A groan came from the floor as a head of black hair came up. "… Can I help you…?"

"You were trying to help me too much, shithead!" She slid back, pulling the covers over head body. Luckily for her, the darkness of the room concealed the blush on her face.

"… Can I go back to sleep now?" He asked, seemingly too tired to care for her antics.

The girl scowled, anger beginning to boil inside of her. "You think can just walk in, do what you want and walk out?"

Sasuke kept his deadpan expression and tone. He got up, looking at her. "_I _haven't done anything. Now, can I go to sleep now?"

Deciding not to fight now. "F-Fine! Just go in _your_ bed!"

"Where do you think you are?"

The girl's face turned even redder. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"We have separate rooms now."

The red on her face disappeared, her hand gripping the cover tighter now. "You… You're ditching me?"

The boy raised a hand, shaking his head. "No. We're getting split up. Orochimaru did this, not me."

"So where's my room? Across the hall?"

"Down the corridor, take a left, go ten feet…" The rest was just a mass of mutters and groans. The boy was far too deep in his sleep to care at the moment. "Just get out."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Now." He said firmly.

"… _Oyasumi nasai_." The girl said, turning around and pulling the covers tight.

The boy scowled, walking over to the bed. "Either get out, or we start waking up neighbours."

The girl's cheeks burst into red, her body immediately turning around to face to the boy. "Since when do _you_ crack sex jokes?"

"Since _you_ started infecting me." He crept closer. "Like some kind of Virus."

"Hey, why are you coming closer…?" She slid back a bit more.

"Because, I feel like hearing my name tonight." He replied, coming onto the bed.

"Wa-Wait! You can't do this!"

"Watch me."

He crept under the covers, the girl skidding to the edge of the bed. He crept through them, appearing in front of her. His breath brushed along her body, Goosebumps coming up at the warmth. His face stopped in front of hers, the blush on her face becoming more than apparent. They bodies began to touch, his hand moving to behind her body. He pulled her closer, the girl trying to resist but failing miserably.

"Do you... want me to kiss you, or just do it?" He stared at her eyes, almost as if he could see through them.

She remained silent, still at a loss for words. _Is he actually going to do it? He seems serious…_

A soft squeal escaped the girl's lips as she felt his hand move lower and lower down her waist. He was going for the goal.

_What's going on…? Why… Why can't I think straight? Oh… Oh no… please stop… Please…_

He slipped his hand down even more, underneath the side of her panties.

"Ky-Kyaaaa!"

She bolted out of the covers, ready to fly out the door. However, she never made it there. Before she knew it, all she was doing was running in place. A hand held onto hers, keeping her from leaving.

A sigh escaped the bed, as the boy lied down. "… What's wrong…? You would usually love this kind of thing and go until I backed out."

"…"

Another sigh escaped. "… Are you crying?"

"Shut up. It's all your fault." She cursed under her breath, a bit too embarrassed to be at her normal volume. She wiped her eyes in her sleeves, fighting to keep the rest from coming out.

"… I'm…" He mumbled the rest.

"What?"

"… I'm… so… rry…"

"I don't believe you." She shot him down immediately.

"I don't care. Just tell me what's wrong so I can get to sleep." He deadpanned. Sleep was biting at his heels too much to be bothered to be civil.

The girl sank to her feet, keeping her back towards the boy. "… Nothing's wrong."

"Shut up."

"I'm not lying!"

"If you're going to waste my time, do it during the day."

The girl groaned, pulling her hand free and folding it. "Don't laugh."

"Too tired to anyway."

"I… I…" She stopped, weighing whether or not to tell him. "I…'m afraid to sleep alone." She cringed, expecting laughter to fill the room. However, it never came. At first, she thought that he had just fell asleep, but after getting tapped behind the head, she continued. "Ever since Orochimaru picked me up, I've always had people around me…" She bit her lip, before continuing. "So now… I'm… a bit… unused to it."

The boy didn't respond, letting the girl continue talking. "Even if I didn't trust any one of them, if something happened I knew someone would be there... Though it wouldn't be to protect me or save me... At least I wasn't alone again." The words came out slowly. She felt so... vunerable talking about herself. As if just speaking about it weakened her and left her open for reject and redicule.

The room remained silent for a while, before some movement came from the bed.

"Get in."

"Hell no!" She yelled, her face covered in blush. "I'm not getting in with some horny boy!"

"I was bluffing."

"I don't believe you!"

He sighed. "Why are you so difficult?" A hand suddenly landed on her head, petting it softly. She stiffened at first but loosened as it did nothing else. "I won't do anything."

"Promise?"

"Can I go to sleep if I promise?"

"You won't touch me?"

"I won't squeeze your butt."

"Be serious here! This is a sensitive matter!" The girl shierked. The way he just shrugged everything off as if it was a trivial matter pissed her off. This was serious! He almost made a son or daughter and now he was just brushing it aside as 'bluffing'?

"My sleep is sensitive. You're making me talk too much."

The girl groaned, before getting up and getting on the bed. "You're not going to do anything, right?"

"Hn." The boy was already nodding off.

"If you do anything, I'm going to make you pay!"

"… Hn…"

She turned, looking over her shoulder multiple times. Sasuke remained still, his chest moving rhythmically. Casting one last look, the girl turned and pulled the covers over her.

_Please don't do anything… Please don't do anything… Please…_ She chanted in her head a few times, before nodding off to sleep.

* * *

Morning seemed to come too fast, with the girl finding her eyes waking up almost as quickly as they closed.

Chest. Wide chest. Muscular chest. Male Chest.

He was right in front of her, her hands almost massaging his chest.

"Wait… wait… What?" She began to squirm, looking up to see the boy in front of her. Panic filled her mind, her thoughts already going to the negative. _Don't tell me I did something stupid…_

The boy was still asleep, carelessly scratching himself as he rolled over. All his clothes were on, as were her panties and bra, and he seemed like all he did was sleep. She gave herself a quick check. She too felt no different than the day before. Her hair was bed hair, no messier than usual (which for the average person would be hard to tell) and she had no marks or anything.

_He… really didn't do anything…_ She thought, looking at him. The panic slowly faded away, her mind calming down as it set in. _… He really didn't…_

* * *

**Finally. Sorry for the wait, considering the last chapter's time. Though, I'm looking forward to the next chapter. It's one of those I actually planned from the start of the Fanfic. **

_Oyasumi Nasai - Good Night_

_Itadakimasu - Thanks for the meal (said before meals)_**  
**


	16. Happy Day

**Finally! This is one of the first chapters I thought up when I thought of this fic. It's really been long in the making so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'll enjoy writing it.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Happy Day**

* * *

His senses snapped awake as soon as he got up. Though he didn't move, he was quickly gaining awareness of the room he was in.

And something was wrong already.

He quickly opened his eyes, the room still clouded in darkness. A scowl grew on his face as he looked to his side.

Nothing.

The room was silent and the bed was cold. No noise came from the bathroom, leaving the only sound being the soft breathing of his lungs.

"… Where is she…?"

This wasn't like her. True, she was her own woman (sometimes a bit _too_ much) but even she had her patterns. Most included kicking him out of the bed on a morning. However, one thing she always did was wait for him to get up. Even when she woke up to a big surprise, she'd still be there.

* * *

_**Bam!**_

"**Y-You!"**

**Once again, the boy was on the floor. The redhead was on the bed, rapped up in the covers.**

"**Wh-What the hell do you think you're doing?" A mixture of emotions poured through her voice, none of which registered in the boy's head.**

**He lifted his head off the ground, sitting upright before looking around. An air of annoyance quickly formed around him as he glared at the girl. "Sleeping… Since when was that a crime?" **

**That was true. The girl had developed the habit of aggressively waking him up from his sleep. At first, it was a shake. Then it grew to a more aggressive shake. After falling out of the bed while being shaken, that became the standard. And she decided to add a kick for style. But this time, her usual smirk was gone. Her expression was much different, this time a bit more… embarrassed, shocked… **

"**No, but what you're learning towards is!" She yelled, pointing a finger at him. "You're lucky I don't beat your ass down right now for lying to me!"**

**Now he was a bit confused. Had she finally succumbed to the nightmares she muttered about in her sleep? Or was she just trying to pull his leg into doing something she could blackmail him for later or maybe…**

**His thoughts stopped as his gaze drifted down.**

**A loud groan escaped his lips as he rested his head on the bed. Even from that, she drifted a little further from him.**

**He raised his head slowly, looking at her. "… How old am I?"**

**She scowled, obviously finding the question ridiculous. "What does that have to do with anything?" She yelled, waving an arm angrily. However, seeing as the boy didn't give up his staring competition, she put her arm down. "How should I know? Somewhere between 13 and 10963."**

"**Well then, you're lucky my hand wasn't on your ass." He himself was a bit surprised that he said it like that. However, truth be told it was Tayuya. She'd understand what he meant.**

"**Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAAAAT?" She yelled, her face heating up. Whether it was anger or blush was a different story. "You think you can just claim my ass as your own and just use it whenever you feel like it?"**

**Or not.**

**He sighed. After all, this was Tayuya. Nothing was simple when dealing with Tayuya. **

"**At my age, this kind of thing tends to… happen." He explained calmly.**

**She was the exact opposite though. "**_**This kind of thing tends to happen**_**? Freaking bullshit! The hell can you say something like that with a straight face? So what, Orochimaru's slaves just **_**happen**_**? And I'm just supposed to accept a half-assed answer like that!"**

**Ok, even for her, this was a bit much. Why was she so riled up? True, it wasn't her choice of things to wake up to, but to be this mad? **

"**I mean…" She let out an angry sigh, her eyes closing. She then swung her hand, pointing at him. "You promised!"**

**He sighed again. Of course. "You still don't trust me."**

"**Well, with things like **_**that**_** waking me up, how can I?" She yelled back, anger lacing her voice.**

"**Check yourself." He deadpanned, causing the girl's face to turn even redder. "I'll turn if you insist."**

"**Sh-Shut up! What's your point?" **

"**If nothing's different, then why are you mad?" She opened her mouth to retaliate but he continued talking. "I told you, I'm not going to do anything. I am not Orochimaru, I am not one of those sickoes who offer you candy to 'play' with them. I am **_**me**_**. **_**I**_** said won't so I won't."**

**Her mouth slowly closed, eye contact breaking in favour for the floor. "…"**

_**Poof**_**.**

"**Floor."**

**The pillow rolled off his face, revealing a look of pure annoyance. "**_**Floor**_**?"**

"**Floor."**

"**If anything, I should be the one pissed off." He said, looking at her.**

**Lying down, the redhead turned around and wrapped the covers around her. "This whole thing is **_**your**_** damn fault, so **_**you're**_** taking the floor."**

**The boy mumbled something under his breath, placing the pillow on the floor and lying down.**

"**Keep that up and you'll get acquainted with that spot on the floor."**

* * *

His face heated up, though he was able to hide it. What could he have been thinking? Of all things to do and say… Though some time had passed, he still mentally slapped himself for it. But, that wasn't important. What was important was her being missing.

Mostly because even then, she was there when morning came. Though, she didn't talk to him for a while, though she didn't look at him for a while, though she ignored him for a while, she still stuck around. She'd fold her arms, she'd turn her head but she was at least there.

So, why wasn't she now? What could cause her to disappear suddenly? Did he do something? Was it him? Nothing came to immediate mind, though he wasn't aware last time he pissed her off.

Or maybe she bolted.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. He knew she was tired of living at the bases. Every time she _heard_ the word Orochimaru, her nostrils would flare and her fist would clench. When they left, she seemed almost like a different person. She'd smile a bit more, laugh, be more excited, energetic.

But she couldn't have, not without hi-

"Damn it…" He muttered, a headache already starting.

It wasn't the first time he thought of it.

If she came through the doors one day, bag packed and eyes determined. With only one line coming out of her lips. 'With or without?'

The thought was… troubling to say the least. The most troubling part was that he didn't know what he would answer. He had lost much of his past valour and burning desire for power… But was he ready to lose that? What used to be his driving force, his purpose for living.

He shook away the thought, only one thing in his mind right now.

Find Tayuya. No way she's pulling a stunt like this.

Without him.

* * *

The morning air was cool, the overhead trees creating a cover, catching the sunlight before it could strike down mercilessly on the ground. After all, it had midday to do that. People in the area were still waking up, the conversation soft and tame, helping the atmosphere. Casually walking down the road, a tanned boy with short brown hair sang softly as he made his way to the mess hall. He wore the usual Oto pants, but opted to wear a regular, black T-shirt.

"_Hashire! Asu e tsuzuku shinka no michi wa_"

The sound of feet pounding the floor alerted the boy. He turned around to see a head of black coming towards him, though he quickly noticed the face.

"Sasuke? I don't usually see you unless Tayuya's near by." He greeted him, giving a friendly smile as he spoke. His smile slowly dropped as he noticed a look on Sasuke's face. "What's wrong…?"

"… That means she's not with you either." He sounded more like he was talking to himself than Akhito, speaking in a low tone. It wasn't low enough though.

"You don't know where Tayuya is?" He asked, though he didn't show much concern. "She's probably just up to a prank or something. I saw her yesterday. In fact, I see her everyday. She'll turn up eventually."

"So then, where would she normally be?" He asked quickly, his nerves getting a bit shot.

"Well… maybe breakfast. Or lunch. And we do sometimes meet while I'm on my way to class…" He began to think, piecing together their usual meetings.

The boy's jaw clenched. He hadn't the time or the patience for this. The last thing he wanted to find out was that the girl bolted. And that she made it to Cloud Country.

"You shouldn't be worried." The brown haired boy said, shrugging. "I doubt she'd do anything without telling me. I mean, she didn't even really act too different."

* * *

"**Shiiiiiiiiiiit!"**

_**BOOM**_**!**

"**Who did that?"**

**A stream of green smoke flowed through a window, loud coughs and gags quickly followed. It wasn't long before the door burst open, people rushing out of the smoke, some holding their noses and others covering their whole face. One man in particular did neither, instead he marched out of the smoke and looked around.**

"**Which one of those **_**gaki**_** did that?" He growled, looking around.**

**One of the people from the building waving in front of their face, shaking his head. "Next time, step outside first."**

**The man growled, causing a number of people around him to laugh. However, they weren't the only ones laughing.**

"**That was freaking awesome!" The girl laughed, almost falling over as she held her stomach.**

"**You said this would be safe!" A wail came from the side of her. "We almost got caught!"**

**A hand waved dismissively, disregarding the comment. "We weren't, ok? So it went off a little sooner than I planned, we weren't there so it's all good."**

"**What's all good?"**

**A shiver ran down the boy's neck as he heard the voice. It was around the corner, sounding like the owner could pop out at any time. His feet failed to move and his throat dried. Afraid for the fate which awaited him, his eyes closed and he turned slightly.**

_**Poof**_**.**

"**Everything. That includes you." A different voice responded sternly. **

**His eyes slowly opened to be looking through a purple cloth. The grounded to be further away than usual and it was a bit more troublesome to stand up than usual. Looking through the cloth, he saw the man from the store.**

**His arms had numerous cuts and marks on it, while he wore a brown apron over his vest. Next to him was a female guard (a rarity. For some reason Orochimaru wasn't fond of trusting females) with her arms folded as she spoke with the man.**

"**So, what are you still doing here?" It wasn't a question. The man turned and walked away but it was obvious that he wasn't pleased by the outcome.**

"**You sure this is ok?" **

**_Poof_.**

"**I mean, we just..."**

**The red haired girl walked out of the small cloud of smoke, pointing to her head. "I may have my moments, but I like to think things through before I do it. Besides, nothing's happened to you yet."**

**He shrugged, nodding in agreement. "But Tayuya-chan! That was too close, even for you."**

"**Shut up mophead." She said, starting to walk away. "No way I'd do something stupid like get you hurt."**

"**Really?"**

"**The hell you saying 'really' for? What kind of person would I be if I let something happen to you?" She almost snapped, still walking down the alley. "Yeah, I punch you every now and again but no way in hell I'm letting someone kick your ass or hurt you."**

"**Tayuya-chan!" Two arms wrapped around her as the boy held her in a tight hug. "You're like the sister I never had. Tayu-nee."**

"**T... Tayu-nee...?" Her voice went from its usual gruff and rough tone to a shakier one. **

**When he usually hugged her, (or any other physical contact) he'd usually get punched or brushed off. However, this time she did nothing. Just stood with his arms around her. **

**For now.**

* * *

Akhito nodded, his hand on his chin. "Well... she did wail on me harder than usual..."

An annoyed groan left the boy's throat as he heard the boy say that. Once again, talking to him was a waste of time. He would have probably been better off looking for her instead of him. She could have gotten halfway through the forest by then.

Deciding to look by himself, Sasuke turned and dashed off, leaving the brown haired boy standing on his own.

He rose and eyebrow, his eyes narrowing on the boy's back. "... I've only seen Sasuke-san act like that once before..." His memory went back to the last time. He never really found out what happened, though the two seemed to get along a little better afterwards.

"I guess he may be onto something... Maybe I should be looking too?"

* * *

The streets were bustling with life. In this part of the base, people were up from early and were trying to either make a living or make a profit off of someone. People walked up and down, voices were loud and the streets were near filled.

"Hello my friend!"

A teen turned around, to see a man walk up to him with a smile on his face. He gave a slight nod, continuing to walk.

"We need to discuss something. I doubt here is the place to do it though. Let's go somewhere else.

Another nod came.

Finally, things were starting to go his way. It took some time and a good bit of convincing… but it was finally happening. The plan was coming to light.

* * *

"**I see you're back again."**

"**You can't expect me to meet someone like you and let you get away."**

**This one was one of his more tricky missions. He had done this kind of thing seriously once or twice but this one was special. He couldn't afford to set him off once, to do anything to alarm him even once. At add even more difficulty he didn't even seem interested in change. He was one of those kinds of people. Knows that something needs to be done but has no intention of doing anything. So, along with making him trust him he also had to convert him from neutral.**

"**As I've said on numerous occasions, I've no money for your goods." He took a sip of tea.**

**The boy sat on his own this day, his friends from the other day gone. His mask was off and his white hair falling over his face, parted on the left. He looked up, blue eyes staring coolly at the man. The shop wasn't even a shop, more building. The storekeeper seemed to have stepped out indefinitely and the place was deserted except from him. The noise from the outside barely penetrated, or rather slipped in more like a muddled gurgle than distinguishable conversation. **

**The man gave a friendly smile, sitting next to him. "Don't be like that. How can you just sit there, feeling the way you do?"**

"**I am but a man, not a hero. We are all here for a reason and are still here for a reason." He responded calmly, as little emotion slipped from his voice as possible when he spoke. **

"**I'm not asking you to be a hero." Kota tried to sound persuading as he spoke. "We just need you. Your persona, your ability, your patterns of speech. You have a way with words. An inspirational way."**

"**The temptress purrs sweetly into her victim's ear before biting them." Was the simple response he got.**

**The man leaned back, shaking his head. "You're a lot more mature than one might think."**

"**Somewhere like here, the immature only have death to look forward to." He said calmly, the first set of emotion coming through as he spoke. **

**Hatred.**

**His eyes practically glared at his surroundings as he took in the scenery. **

**An opening appeared. "There. That there is why I need you."**

"**You're talking rubbish." **

**He was getting somewhere. He never answered him directly like that, he always led it back to himself or to make himself seem uninterested. **

"**No. No I am not. I saw that look in your eye. I saw that look in his eye," He reached out, pointing at a random stranger. "In her eye too. In fact, I've seen it in a number of eyes. You can't stand this place, this way of living. I understand that. That's why, I need your help."**

**The teen looked away, his jaw clenching a bit. "And I am in no position to help you."**

**The opening couldn't have closed yet. He couldn't have escaped. If he did… a new opening would have to be made.**

"**You're acting like a coward now." He said, leaning forward. "If this is how you are now, you'll be of no use later on. Maybe it is best if you run now."**

**The boy's teeth grinded. A nerve was hit and it was time to use it.**

**Or so it seemed. His jaw loosened and the glare in his eyes vanished. The angry, tense air which was beginning to grow around him faded as he casually looked away.**

"**Words." He began simply, still not looking at the man. "They can be more soothing than the sweetest maiden's touch but also more venomous than the deadliest cobra."**

"**I assume your rambling way of speaking has something to do with this?" Kota asked, raising an eyebrow in genuine curiosity. Not that everything was a lie, of course. He just had a habit of being uselessly hard to speak to.**

"**The same way to try to make yours sooth me…" He began calmly. "The same way Orochimaru did." The man's eyes widened a bit. "So hence, what's stopping yours from being venomous as well? If they are, I have nothing more to lose than myself."**

**Once again, Orochimaru's cunning kindness has stuck again. One could only hope to do as good in the world as he has.**

"**If you will speak of no more than you already have, it would be best if you left."**

**Maybe a tactical retreat was in order? **

**No.**

**Today or never again. In his current state of mind if the topic was ever brought up again he would be standing in front of the first guard, reporting it for treason.**

"**I can't. You need to understand, this cannot happen without you. Despite your cowardice." He prodded a bit deeper, looking for any crack to use to get under his skin. "You need to get over your past. That way, you can help pave the future."**

"**You are shaking the cage." He said in a firm, yet calm manner. It was one of his many patterns of speech.**

"**But you are letting it cloud your vision. Yes, something happened in the past but -."**

"**My past is my past. Ignoring it only causes more pain in the future. There is a reason why you don't forget." He cut him off mid-sentence. That was a rarity. Another sign that his wall was crumbling. He always let someone finish talking, unless he had a good reason to stop them.**

"**The past is the past. Not the future." He responded, leaning forward again. "It merely exists as a reminded of your mistakes, not a guide. We should not live in fear of the past but respect it and use it to move on."**

"**And next you're going to nicely persuade me by saying by brother would be displeased." The tone in his voice was near indescribable. However, its power was not. He made Kota almost feel ashamed to have thought of something like that and immediately forced him to pick a different tactic.**

**He was good. Damned good. "Your brother has nothing to do about this." He picked a new tactic easily. Why struggle to light a fire to cook meat…**

**When there was always wild fruit.**

"**It's about theirs." He pointed to the people in the street. They walked along, speaking, selling and going about their lives. "Too many people here have suffered. Too many people here are being abused. We cannot just stand by and watch. If we do, what will happen to their children, their children's children. You do realize that Orochimaru's tyranny will never stop, right? He plans to use his slaves -,"**

**The boy's eyes immediately widened. "Slaves? You mean he lives with people waiting on his hand and foot?"**

"**No, people in shackles and bonds." The topic of slaves was never supposed to leave the higher ups. He himself was a bit shocked when Tayuya mentioned it to him, though he wasn't all surprised. New people always seemed to appear and it was odd how their loyalty was unshakable. Except it wasn't loyalty.**

**It was fear.**

**A sigh escaped his lips, causing him to take another sip on his tea. "… I am no hero."**

"**You do not have to be. All you need to do is sound like one."**

"**I am no champion." He retaliated.**

"**All you need to do is make us believe that we can be."**

**He looked down, his head shaking. "What you say worries me. Slaves? Deplorable conditions and dictatorship is one thing… But this can not stand. However, neither can I. My legs have long forgotten the feeling of staying strong."**

"**Don't be afraid. Am I no ghost, no passing breeze. I can't just leave you on your own. I will help you."**

**He sighed again, looking outside at the people. He remained silent for a while, the man choosing to let him be the one to break the silence first.**

"… **The sacrifice of one man for many…" He finally muttered. "… If one man should die to save an entire civilization, is it justified?"**

**The question was a bit of a shocker. It really was a rhetorical. Yes meant you agreed with sacrifices and no meant you would let people die for personal gain. What could he hope to get by something as roundabout as this?**

"**No." He responded, thinking quite a bit before answering. "That's why you save everyone."**

* * *

It wasn't long later before he agreed. Though he was no more than a figurehead, his purpose was good enough. At least then we would have a means of rallying people, of creating a fighting force against Orochimaru.

Though, they were yet to do anything yet. The boy wanted everything to be set first before starting.

"I'm still working out many of the kinks. I can't give you a date but I'd recommend working on a speech." He chimed, waving his arms in the air. "But knowing you, you could make up one on the spot."

"You must find your compliments amusing." He responded deadly, seeming a bit uninterested in the conversation. "For someone who was so pressed to recruit me, you take long to start."

Kota gave a little sweat, waving his arm dismissively. "Well, you know… Can't play chess without a board or pieces."

The boy gave a shrug. "The logic speaks for itself." He continued to stare at him, before continuing to talk. "My ear is yours. What kind of 'kinks' are you referring to?"

The man stiffened. This was the kind of conversation he was hoping to avoid. Tayuya had only given him marginal details and told him to improvise the rest if needs be. However, that was his weak point. He was a horrible strategist. Nothing he thought of ever made sense, nor did it even sound convincing.

The air tensed a bit as the boy noticed his stiffness. He needed to say something, anything to keep any doubt from arising.

"I'm thinking about how to do a recruitment drive." He blurted out the first thing which came to his mind. However, nothing else did. "But… you know… complications…"

"I suppose so." The boy nodded, it in for a few moments. "Maybe speaking about it will help make sense of it. The most troublesome questions have the simplest of answers."

Oh no. The situation was turning quickly sour. Doubt began to creep in as he thought of horrible plans. He looked outside, as if making sure than no one was looking at them or listening at them.

He looked back at him, receiving a piercing look.

"Your comedy routine grows tiresome." He deadpanned, folding his arms. "It would be best if you produced results."

Train wreck was becoming an accurate description of the situation. He needed to do something quickly…

"Hey!"

His head snapped over, immediately looking for the source of the voice.

A brown haired boy skid into his line of sight. He stopped, turning to face him and raced over to him.

"I know you!" He said, pointing at him. "I've seen -,"

"A matter I must attend to!" The man leapt to his feet and grabbed the boy's hand. "Some other time!"

And with that he was off. He dragged Akhito off as he raced away.

"I've seen you with Tayu-nee before." He began, as he got on his own feet and ran next to him. "Have you seen her?"

"… What…?" He stopped, looking at the boy seriously. "She's vanished?"

"Well, no one's seen her whole day so we're a bit nervous." He admitted. Sasuke had rubbed off on him and ever since he left, he too was a bit frantic to find her. "Do you know where she might be?"

He shook his head, a bit of panic setting in. "… No… I have no idea."

The girl was a deserter? That couldn't be right. She had to be around somewhere, maybe eating at a new restaurant or something. Or maybe she slept in. Anything was possible. Except her leaving. He knew she once had doubts about helping anyone, of just doing her own thing but… this couldn't happen.

Not like that.

* * *

The area was dark, very little light making it through the leaves. There were no wild animals around, leaving the forest an almost eerie quiet.

Suddenly, the trees rustled loudly as someone moved through them swiftly. The noise died out, turning into the sound of crushing grass. That too died quickly, going back to the silence. It remained that way, not even the branches on the trees swaying as time passed.

"… Go away." Crawled into the air in a low, gruff tone.

"No."

Some silence followed for some time, stillness reigning.

"Please… just go."

The air was weird. It would send goosebumps across someone's arm, but at the same time weaken one's knees. It caused your eyes to drift to the floor and make the day seem worse than it was before.

"No."

The boy looked down, seeing the girl sitting with her back against a tree. Her hand was up to her face, blocking half of it. The visible part of her face seemed dead, only looking down at the ground.

"Leave." Her voice sounded almost pleading, desperate for him to leave.

His fist almost clenched. The sight of her like this… the way she just sat there, as if her whole world had crashed on her. Speaking to him so desperately, pleading with him. It wasn't her and he was going to get rid of this imposter.

"No. Now get up and make me." He said firmly, staring the girl down.

However, the look was lost. Her visible eye lazily crawled up to his face, looking at it before going back to the ground. "I'm doing this for your own good…" She muttered softly. "You shouldn't be around me. Not today."

An annoyed scowl came across the boy's face as he heard that. Superstition? She was being like this because of some stupid superstition? "Why?"

"Nothing good comes from this day." The soulless tone in her voice would have sent a chill down someone else's spine. All it did was light a fire underneath his.

"Stop talking crap." He spat, annoyance lacing his voice.

"It's not crap. It's... the truth." She responded deadly, the boy's words seeming to have no effect on her.

He noticed that. The overwhelming feeling to knock some sense into her came. She wouldn't even resist if he tried and…

"Why are you still here?" She began speaking, though it didn't feel like it was at him. It was more like she was talking to herself. "This day is nothing but bad."

The boy remained silent, waiting to see what else would come out.

"Today… was the day I made my first kill." She muttered. However, as she continued her eye dilated and she lurched forward. "… Blood… So much blood…"

The scowl on the boy's face lessened a bit. A ping of reminiscence came to mind as he remembered the years after the massacre. Just the thought of it would have him bringing back lunch from days ago. He couldn't even look at the Uchiha fan without shaking or quivering.

"I lost everything today as well." She continued to talk. "The gang killed my entire family today. Each one dying in front of me. Each one pleading for my life."

His face went neutral. She made more sense now. Two things like this, on the same day would cause some sort of paranoia for the day

"I also lost my life today." She still continued to talk. "I gave it away, doing whatever the person who had it told me to do. No matter how low, no matter how evil…"

Sasuke remained silent. It made sense now. This wasn't one, or two or even three events. These were _the_ three events which shaped her life. The three mains things which ever happened to her, the three things which if they never happened she wouldn't be the same person. She could have been a normal, happy, _not difficult_ person if it didn't happen. But it did. On the same day.

"Today…" She said.

"My birthday."

Those two words almost turned the boy upside. Her birthday? All that happened on her birthday? No wonder she felt like nothing good came from this day. No wonder she felt like she was no good either.

"…" He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. It just felt like words would only make it worse; make her day seem like more of a bad thing.

"So please," The pleading tone returned as she looked at him. "Just go. Just let me have this day so maybe, I won't be a greater problem for once."

Her words caused him to look away. Something about her, the way she said it, the things he now knew… made it so much harder to look at her.

For a moment, he felt like leaving. Like giving her that one day, to just drop out of existence, to let herself sit in her angst and believe that she was a problem.

But he had that one day. He had many days. He had too many days.

"No." He said, stepping closer to her.

She slowly inched away, a look of terror coming onto her face. "Why…? Why are you coming closer to me? Why won't you leave me?"

"Because… I'm... " He started, a word coming to mind but… he couldn't bring himself to say it. Not again, not after that time…

"_Nakama_ don't leave you alone!" A third voice said. The bushes rustled again before a head of brown hair came out. "We stick around, whether you want us to or not! That way, we're always there to pick you up when you fall."

Her eye went to him, staring at him for a few moments before one word rolled out of her mouth. "_Na-Nakama_...?"

A fourth head of hair came out. This one was dull black, with a pair on glasses on his nose. "Yes. We'll be there."

Though he wasn't a fan of either of the two, granted he never met the black haired one in his life, he was a bit glad to see them. Akhito's words were… needed.

"But… it's… today…" She mumbled, looking at the ground.

The boy stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Then we'll hang around until its tomorrow! Because, that's what _nakama_ do! That and I don't even know how we got here in the first place."

"You guys…" She muttered.

Sasuke's face turned serious. He then grabbed her arm, holding her in place as he sat down next to her. The other two, taking the queue also took seats around her.

"You're not going anywhere." He said. "And neither am I. We."

She stared at him, the blank expression in her eye still there. It went down to the ground, before looking at Kota and Akhito.

"… You guys…" She stifled herself, trying her best.

"Aw shoot," The brown haired boy folded his arms, a small smile on his face. "If you do that now, I'll start too."

"I'm… sorry… I'm so sorry…" And it began. Water slowly began forming in the corner of her eyes, slowly running down her cheeks. "I'm such a mistake... Always causing trouble for you…"

"Shut up." It was Sasuke who spoke this time. "If you were, we would have ditched you already. Now wipe your tears, say something rude and let's get out of here."

She looked at him once more, but there was something different this time. Her eye wasn't dead. It wasn't back to full yet but…

She was back. Even if it was 1%, some Tayuya is better than none.

* * *

**_Gaki _- Brat.**

**_Nakama_ - Friends, comrades.**

**Akhito's singing an actual song. What song is that? Heh heh, you'll have to find out on your own.  
**

**Ummm… I think I'm done. I was going to add something else to this chapter, but it felt too much like a drama so I left it out. Just didn't flow well with the rest of the chapter. Plus, would have felt a bit rushed in my opinnion.**

**So, pretend I'm Breaking Benjamin and Give me a sign. For those of you who didn't close the page after reading that, I'd appreciate it if you did.**


	17. This is war

**Let's go! New PC, new life and vigour! Or something in the sort. I just hope I didn't bum anyone out or kill anyone's exceptions by promising new chapters over the summer. Before you read this, I should warn you. This is un-beta'd. I have a beta-reader, but they are experiencing technical difficulties.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 17: This is war**

* * *

Silence.

This was the decoration of the hallways. Lengths and lengths of deafening silence as far as the eyes could make out. Along with the silence was one of its best friends, darkness. Candles were sparsely lit along the sides, allowing darkness to creep onto the walls and the crevices, allowing it to feel at home. The walls themselves were a dull grey, seeming void of life or any signs of them. Slowly, out of the darkness, a figure walked. It's face was completely covered, save for two soulless eyes. Not even the dirt under it's foot moved as it silently walked by. A pole could be seen in it's hand as it walked. The tip of the pole glinted as it came to light, though not because of the metal on it.

Red.

It trickled down from it slowly, menacingly. No effort was made to stop it or remove it.

The figure stopped in front of some darkness, turning towards it and looking inside. It stood still for a moment before raising the pole. For a moment, it disappeared into the darkness before reappearing.

Even then, not a sound came, nor a noise disturb the silence. It was almost as if there was nothing in the corridor at all.

"_~~~! ~~~~~! ~~! ~~~~!_"

A slow, soft sound seeped into the silence. It seemed almost foreign, wrong for there to be anything except silence there. The sound slowly began to change, moving from a flat sound to something higher. It then dropped, dragging out before changing again. The sounds blurred together, forming more than just a cluster of noise.

Music.

The pole dropped to the ground, making an oddly loud, crude sound before another sound came. A body dropping.

A little behind him, the rough sound of metal grinding against something came. Two softer sounds followed. The sounds of footsteps came as figures stepped out of the darkness.

"... You didn't have to kill him..." A male voice said. He stepped out to see glasses and black hair falling over his face.

A grunt responded. "I didn't." Long, red hair came out of the darkness before a skullcap topping it. The body was short and small but not weak. "It's genjutsu. He thinks someone's acting up. By the time he wakes up we should be long gone."

Kota shook his head as he looked around. "... Remind me why we're doing this again...? This place isn't my first choice in places to investigate." The atmosphere seemed to get to him as he clung to the light and stared carefully at the darkness.

"Scaredy-shit." She spat irritatedly as she started walking forward. "We need to check out the captives first before we can even think of them helping us." She stepped into the darkness, disappearing for a moment. "You never know what lurks down here."

He shivered slightly as he slowly followed her. He stopped right before the darkness, trying to peer inside. "...How do you know so much about this anyway? I didn't even know there were slaves until you told me."

Her head slowly escaped the darkness though her face seemed devoid of emotion. "You're looking at an ex-con."

The man's blood run dry as he heard that. His heart almost stopped, the thought that she went through this, that her mind was subject to this kind of treatment and torture... And he didn't even know all what happened in there. "Wh-What? You went through this?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment. "Bwahahaha!" She bawled, clutching her sides as she almost tipped over. "You should have seen your face! It was like you were going to cry!"

He scowled, shaking his head. "This place isn't the best... Who knows what kind of trauma you could have faced if you were here."

"I do," She went back into the darkness. "One of my..." She stopped mid-sentence, collecting her thoughts. "I knew a guy who went through this."

The man's eyebrow went up, but after debating with himself mentally, he decided to let it go. He already knew she could be complicated when she wanted to be. That and _someone_ would be mad if he found out before them.

"They prod you, searching for body for anything useful." She explained stolidly through the darkness. "Afterwards, they just leave you here. Day in, day out. Act up, get stabbed. Don't act at all, get stabbed to make sure your nerves still work." She paused for a moment, her facial expression invisible. "Eventually, you just give up on life. On everything. Until he offers you a deal."

"Orochimaru?" The man already knew the answer, though he said it anyway.

"The kind of offer which makes no logical sense, the kind of offer which no sane person would accept... but at that point none of those things apply to you anyway. In that state of hopelessness and despair anything seems better." She turned, looking back at Kota. "Why do you think Guards are so loyal? Because no way in hell they're going back to what they had. After getting their soul back, they do anything to keep it."

"So we're here to see who we can convert."

"Wrong." She said bluntly, cutting him off before he could say anything else. "We're just watching. Seeing if there's any people of interest. _Your_ friend is the one doing the converting."

"He's not going to like this."

"Then tell him shut up and get on board. I thought human relations were your expertise." She shot.

"So are his apparently." He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "He always seems to have a way to make you feel like you're wasting your time or not making sense. Plus, he's beginning to ask questions about _my_ plan."

"Hey, this isn't just some game of shoji." The redhead growled as she spoke. "I can't just do whatever the hell I want and rush things. People's lives are at stake. The least I can do is take my time and make sure I don't kill anyone I don't want to."

Nodding silently, the two continued through the darkness, looking at the captives.

The prisoners came in all different shapes and sizes. Some were huge, seemingly made of rocks and muscles of some indestructible material, while there were those which looked like they even lacked enough bodes to survive. No one seemed to be beyond the snake's choosing as both males and females were silently laid on the floor as they walked by. Most of them didn't even move or look at them, just staying there, watching the wall or staring into nothing.

"... None of these people seem... alive." The comment was unnecessary, though no one even moved to try an prove him wrong. It just seemed to float stagnantly in the air, before dying out. "What are we looking for? Movement? Acknowledgement? Violent cursing?"

"I... don't know." She said blatantly. A growl left her as she ran a hand through her hair. "I wish I could tell you... but..." She stopped and turned to one of the cells. "I've only seen it once before. It's something you'll know the moment you see it, something that'll burn itself into your mind... But something you just can't explain... Jeez, I must sound like a jackass right now..."

The man stopped, shaking his head for a moment before looking into one of the slaves in the cell next to him. "...OK then. I'll just have to take your word on it."

After looking at a few of them, the girl turned to the man. "... You've got your work cut out for you. Orochimaru seems to have done his homework on this bunch." Her hand came up, pinching her nose bridge as she spoke. "The people in these cells barely even seem to be breathing... Far less able to rise up."

"So we're scrapping this then?" Kota asked. "Because if so at least I have a story to buy you some time."

She shoved her hands in her pockets, swinging her foot in a random direction. "... How good do you think this guy is?"

"Well, he caught your eye." He casually replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm yet to see him work on anyone other than myself, so I don't know if he's that good or if I'm that bad."

"Guess its time to find out."

* * *

"Wh-What?"

"You heard me."

"But! Th-This isn't what I agreed to!"

The quiet and calm atmosphere almost betrayed the scene. Despite everything outside seeming to move in slow motion, calmly going about and living their lives, in the empty shop things seemed to be moving at high speed. It hadn't even been three seconds but things weren't going good already.

_I expected this. I knew he wouldn't approve but not to this degree..._ He thought to himself as he saw the expression on the white haired boy's face. "Truth be told, you did. I said I needed your words."

"I could write something." He cut the man off to say it.

"But you as anyone should know, words are just random noises without the right feelings behind them." He responded calmly, trying to counteract the boy's actions.

He looked around quickly, as if trying to find something to change the subject to.

"Even you see that what you're doing is rubbish. There's no other way for this to happen. You need to come with me."

The boy's face contorted to a form someone never wants to see. Fear. It was written all over his face, from the sweat clearly formed on his brow to the jitters in his eyes. They darted all over the place, as if trying to find somewhere to run or hide.

And the man noticed.

"And we should go now."

The back breaking straw seemed to be cast. The boy leapt out of his seat, his hands shaking wildly as he spoke. "You must be mad!"

"No, but I'm slowly getting there." He rested his elbows on the table, locking his fingers and placing his chin on them. "You told me that you were part of this, that you were willing to help. Why are you backing out so much now? If memory serves, _you _were the one who was pressuring me to tell you my plans."

His eyes continued looking around as he listened.

"And stop that." Kota said firmly, causing him to stop fidgeting and stiffen. "What are you looking for? Keep your eyes on me and talk."

"I thought I would just talk to them to bring their spirits up, or to make sure no one broke under the pressure..." He started, his voice almost starting to break as he continued speaking. "B-But this? This is madness! This is illegal! Do you know how many problems could arise if I get caught?"

An aggravated sigh left the black haired slid back in his chair. "... Really now? Really?" He sat back up, leaning forward towards the boy. "Do you _know_ what we're doing? What I'm doing? Did you honestly believe that you could just have a casual talk and then wash your hands clean of this? Act like it never happened?"

"But...!" He started muttering.

"But nothing!" He said strongly, letting some of his impatience and frustration leak into his voice. "Weren't you one of the people who had the most to say about the deplorable conditions here? Weren't you the one so shocked to hear that there were slaves? Weren't you the one who once wished for something better than what you already have? What's wrong with you? What's gotten into you, or rather, what's gotten out? Where's your backbone? Where's your desire for freedom, for a better future?"

He broke eye contact, opting to look outside at some unseen object. "..."

This wasn't the response he was hoping for. He was looking for something more inspiring, more hopeful. However, the last thing he was going to do was give up.

"You shouldn't speak to me anymore."

That was something he wasn't expecting.

"I... I won't say anything to anyone." He muttered lowly, his head dropping to the floor. "And I'll try not to get in your way."

He allowed emotion to show on his face, his eyes widening. "...What...?" This word was nothing compared to what was going on in his mind. It was racing, desperately trying to understand what was going on. He knew he had to convince him to join, but leave?

"Someone like me... wouldn't be of much help." He finished.

Kota's hands trembled as he heard that. His knees were almost weak as he forced himself to his feet. "No... Wait... Where's this coming from...?"

The boy's fist start to shake. "Someone like me... Someone like me... who's a coward." His voice was low and itself trembling. "The last thing I want it to make the phrase 'You're only as strong as your weakest link' true." He looked at his own hand, shaking his head in disgust. "Someone like me, could never be of help to you..."

"You're afraid, that's it." He sighed as he spoke, though the kind of sigh was up for debate. It was somewhat a mix between two. He was satisfied to know what had gone wrong but at the same time... fear was a problematic thing. It can control easily and is hard to break... but can even control once it has been broken.

"You need strong people... People who don't feel fear... People who'll do what needs to be done without beating an eye..." His voice slowly left his throat, defeat and anguish radiating not only from it but also his body language. "I'll never be able to do something like that."

The man looked at him a few moments, letting the words sink. Maybe what he was saying was true. Everyone knew how tricky fear was to deal with, so maybe he wouldn't be of use. Maybe he would just get in the way.

Or he could just be wrong.

"Nonsense."

The boy's eyes widened a bit as her heard this. "Wh-What?"

"Yes, you may think that fear is useless, that all it does is stop or imped but you're wrong. Anyone who doesn't get afraid, who doesn't feel fear is useless." He announced. "Fear keeps you sharp, it makes your mind and reflexes work faster. Besides..." He lifted his hand, lessening the grip on his nerves and letting it shiver. "You're not the only one."

"Y-You too...!"

A slight nod came as assurance before the hand disappeared from sight. "Just talking about this sends my blood pumping but also my nerves. The idea of doing something like this, of having an impact so great on so many people is honestly frightening. But also, with so much gain comes the threat of equal loss. However, you're missing the big picture."

"Big picture...? What big picture...?"

He swallowed, before continuing. "Do you know why we're going to rally the Slaves? Why we're going to see them beforehand? They're slaves. If we wanted, all we have to do is just free them and tell them that they owe us one. After all, they do."

Silence came. He let the silence sit for a while, before continuing to speak.

"Because, we're got getting workers. We're not getting slaves. We're not getting random people."

"We're getting comrades."

The boy's eyes widened as he heard that.

"People who will accept shortcomings. Why? Because they'll cover up for you. Why do you think teams work so well? Because they're able to help each other where they need it. That way, no one has to be invincible. You have a team for that."

The boy stared at him for a while, before shaking his head. "But... where do I fit? Someone like me, who can't even believe in himself. I mean, look at you. You don't have a single bit of wavering in your voice. I can't even stand up straight while talking about this."

"True. However, that's unimportant."

He stepped forward, throwing his arms out and yelling. "How is that unimportant? Explain that to me! Just tell me how I'm supposed to do this in my current state!"

"Because, you believe."

"Wrong. I feel nothing for myself. The dirt on the ground has more potential than me." He spat, kicking some up as he spoke.

"I never said in yourself." He admitted. "But if I might be rude enough, let me tell you something."

"If you can't believe in yourself, believe in me who believes in you."

* * *

"Nice speech." She clapped for him as they walked. "Though, that leave me wondering something... Why the hell are you here? Don't you have something to be doing?"

Kota nodded in agreement. "Alright, you got me. I said we'd go right away but I told him to give me an hour or so to work something out."

"And you're talking to me...?" She let the question hang as she rose an eyebrow.

He sighed, scratching his arm. "Well, how am I supposed to get passed the guards? The only way we got passed them this morning is because of your genjutsu. We need your help."

"You know I can't get involved." Tayuya said bluntly, shoving her hands into her pockets. "He knows about me, and not just how to piss me off. He'll notice the sound genjutsu. Its not that common anyway, so you'll have to be good to get a lie through."

"So what, I'm going to have to improvise? Again? I've been improvising almost everything!" He frustration seemed to slip out as he said that. "Aren't you supposed to be planning?"

She scowled, turning her head to give the man a full view of it. "For your information, I did come up with a couple plans. However, there's a reason I haven't told you about them."

"What could possibly keep you from telling me? Do you have any idea how it is to be in the dark for so long?"

She removed her hands from her pockets, stopping and turning to completely to face him. "Oh, my bad. I just figured you wouldn't be too hot on the idea of KILLING SOMEONE!"

The man seemed to freeze, a horrid look filling his eyes as he looked at her. "... Of what...?"

"Tch, you heard me fruit basket." She stared him down as she said that. Lifting up her hands, she showed hers to him. "I just got this _insane_ idea that you wouldn't want your hands to look like this."

"... But your hands look normal..." He muttered, his mind still trying to wrap itself around the idea of killing someone.

"To you." She started, letting her eyes drift to her hands. "All I see when I look at them... is dirt."

"Dirt?"

"After all the lives I've taken, after all the things I've done, after all the people I've hurt... I doubt I'll be able to look at them as clean again. All I can do is hope that the little good I do will help me at least learn that dirty hands can be used to clean things." She explained, tearing her eyes away from her hands when she finished. "And like I said before, I'd prefer it if no one who didn't need to die died."

He looked down at the ground for a moment or two, understanding what was going through the girl's head. "... I understand. Thank you... for considering me."

"Jackass."

"That wasn't called for." He looked up, to see her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"You spoke so much about believing and teams, yet you don't get it yourself." She began walking, putting her hands back in her pockets. "The most important part of being a team is consideration. I can't just do whatever the hell I want, I need to make sure it doesn't only benefit me but the whole team. And you need to trust that I'll do that."

He looked up and nodded. "... You're right. Thanks."

"Just quit thanking me and get lost." She continued without turning. "You've got someone else to convince."

"Right." He turned and began heading in the other direction.

"Wait." The redhead called out. "There's one thing... One thing I really need to warn you about." She paused, letting an audible sigh leave her lips. "I can't do anything about this, so it's frankly pissing me off by thinking about it."

"What?"

"You life is in serious danger now." Her words were blunt, almost like a shovel hitting you. "Unlike earlier, there's the chance of the ultimate variable appearing. Orochimaru. If, by any chance, he suddenly goes and cruises through his collection while you guys are there not even I can help you. He'll notice my getjutsu a mile away and we'll all be dead in no time."

The man stopped, his fist shaking a bit. "... Ok. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

"And I'm finally done moving in!" She girl grinned as she looked at her work.

In the room was now two dressers and a mess of clothes on the floor. Along with that was a familiar ball of fur aimlessly walking around the place.

"Moving in? More like crowding." An annoyed voice came from on the bed.

"Ehh? What was that? Got a problem?" Tayuya leaned over to the boy, her hands on her hips. "Cause, I'm always ready to go duckass."

He only stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. "If you brought your stuff over from _your_ room, why didn't you bring your bed."

Her hands dropped, a scowl crawling onto her face. "Well... You know, can't bring it and too big for that you can see..." She turned her head, folding her arms. "Shut up duckass! You're probably jumping on the inside as we speak."

"Sure."

The girl gave one final growl before turning to the door. "You know what, I'll leave you to take care of yourself. I want no repeats of passed events."

As she left the room, her ears picked up the sound of more footsteps.

"Why are you following me?" She asked, still facing forward.

"Bored." Was the deadpan response she got.

"And who says that I want you following me around?" The girl yelled at him, walking a bit faster.

He still persisted, following nonchalantly behind her.

* * *

The sounds of his heart beating almost burst his eardrums. It seemed to always be there, haunting him. Even now, the sweat on his brow and palms alone was enough to tell him one thing.

You are insane.

What in Kami-sama's name possessed him to do this was beyond him.

_Believe in me who believes in you._

Why would anyone believe in him? Why him? He didn't know anything about him, anything about his backstory yet he believed. Something had to be wrong with him. But at the same time, it was as if something was right. It was as if he could look passed all the useless features and see his true worth, not just the ones that were obvious.

The man stopped, looking down for a moment or two. Then, he pressed his ear to the floor underneath them.

"... You ready?" His voice was low, barely loud enough to be heard.

He swallowed hard, the beating of his heart seeming louder than before.

"Let me go first."

**Badum.**

He moved the steel grate silently, placing it in front of him.

**Badum.**

Giving one last look, he stepped forward, allowing his feet to drop.

**Badum.**

He dropped down, catching himself with his hands.

**Badum.**

His hands vanished, a soft sound coming from below.

**Badum. Badum.**

And now he was alone. There was no telling what was going on down below. The slaves could broken free on their own and just be staring him down, examining their new prey. Or maybe he just fell onto a trap, one which killed him instantly. A number of possibilities ran through his head as he stayed in the silence.

"Come on. It's clear." The voice told him.

**Badum. Badum. Badum.**

He crept closer to the hole, each step getting smaller and smaller as he got closer.

**Badum. Badum. Badum.**

The hole was in front of him, his body freezing as he looked at it. His body trembled as he looked at it and what it represented. His fear, the chance of death, danger...

_Because, you believe._

He strained to make a fist and fell through. His eyes closed and his mind expecting the worse.

But all that came was the ground. He stayed there for a moment, waiting for immense pain or screams to follow. However, nothing came. Slowly, he cracked an eye open to see Kota standing in front of him, patiently waiting.

"From here on, you're in control."

"Wh-What...?"

The man nodded, folding his arms. "I can't tell you how to talk, or what to say. The only thing I can do is help. After all, this is your show."

He swallowed hard again, looking around. The lighting in the corridor was doing more than just creep him out. The way the fire only seemed to light up around itself was beyond weird. The darkness seemed to be darker than usual, with something almost already crawling out to get him.

Nodding, he stepped forward towards the darkness. He stopped in front of it, his heart racing faster than ever before. His fist trembling, his palms sweating and his throat dry, he took one step into the dark. Then another. And another. At first, he saw nothing. His eyes slowly adjusted as he spent more time in it though.

"What the...?" Was the only thing that could come out as he saw what was happening.

A grate of metal bars stood in front of him, a definite barrier between him and what was inside. But the inside was what really got him. It was obviously a cell, could never pass for anything else. Except a coffin. The floor was completely messed, with a combination of unidentifiable substances littering it. His mind told him not to ask but that wasn't even the worse. On that indescribable floor was a person. Barely. Their body was slimmer than thought humanly possible. Body stuck out and told the boy greetings, his muscles were so small that they barely stayed on his arm. The most striking thing about it was how the person was. There just seemed to be there, lying on the floor in defeat. They made no effort to turn and look at him as he approached and they made no effort to come closer as he touched the railings.

"...What is this...?" He muttered to himself. "... Is this a way to live...? To just sit there, not reacting, not moving, nothing?" He turned around, seeing the man standing behind him. "Are we doing this one by one or all together?"

"I'd like to say it's up to you, but we can't afford one by one. Do groups maybe. At that way you'll know that you're getting to everyone." He explained.

"Alright."

He stepped back, making sure that his voice wouldn't only be heard in the cell in front of him, but be able to carry down the corridor.

"H-Hello...!" He started meekly. _No... I can't be weak now. Not for them. If I have to believe in him, then they have to believe in me._

"Slaves, Captives! Even though I know you aren't listening, lend me your ear!" He held out his hands, trying to grab attention.

If it worked was anyone's guess. No one moved, nothing stirred. Everything just seemed to exist, just seemed to be there. For a moment, he felt like a complete idiot. Nothing there moved, not even the flames of the lights, not even his own shadow yet he was supposed to move the people held captive. But, he swallowed it. Even if he felt stupid, this wasn't and for the team, he needed to put it aside.

"I cannot say 'I feel your pain', I cannot say 'I understand how it feels', I cannot sympathise with you. To do so would be injustice great enough to rival your being here. Your problems are yours, your feelings are yours and I will not belittle them by placing myself there. What I speak about is myself. Myself, my dreams and my feelings."

The man rose an eyebrow at this. He lowered his folded arms and stepped back.

"However, that doesn't mean I can't ask. You, sitting there staring at the floor. You, resting on the wall looking into oblivion. YOU, lying face up waiting for the next horrid thing to happen to you! I ask, is that all? Are you content? Do you honestly believe that this is it? Can you honestly just sit back an accept things how they are now?" He paused, taking a step or two.

"But, again I am belittling you. Only the wind itself knows how many times its rounded the planet before conjuring up a storm. Without doubt there is reason behind what you do. But, what if that reason could be changed? What if, there was more?"

"However, I am no messenger from above. I am not here to save you, nor am I here to make your life any better than it is. I will not rescue you, I will not make things any better than they already are. In fact I might actually make them worse." He gave another pause, putting his hands down and turning his back. "After all, it was all by one man you are all here. It was all by one man's word are we in this state, in the forsaken abyss. So now I say... the only way to get more, to finally attain the 'if'..."

"Is to make it!" He yelled, turning and swinging his arms out. "No one is going to save you! No one is going to make anything better for you! No one is going to do anything, not now or ever for you!"

…

"Unless you start yourself. You don't have to rise now, you don't have to yell, you don't have to scream. All you need is to start. To let the fire ignite, let it call out to you, let you soul and body hunger for it like never before. And afterwards, I will be there. I will act as the rope, helping you from the depths of the gorge. But let me make something clear! Let this be an understanding! I do not work for you. Nor do you work for me. You will owe me nothing afterwards and vice versa. Why...? Because..."

"We are comrades!"

"We don't do for each other, we don't try to use each other! We help, we build up, be move towards a common goal! So, if you have been here so long that you can't imagine being of use, if your soul has been discarded and damaged beyond repair, if your mind can't get around the idea of even moving... We are here for you! We will lift you up! And we will give you something to believe in! That way, if you can't find the strength in yourself... If at any time you need something to keep you going... You will have me, him, her any everyone around you! And we will be there to do anything that you can't by yourself!"

"So for now, wait. Think. Spark inside. I will return. And we will move together."

* * *

**Gah, the speeches are giving me trouble. Plus, I haven't been finding anything near inspiring on this site recently. Anyone have any recommendations or anything? Anything to help me when I get stuck for something. Well, either that or more Doctor Who. But, that might be the problem.**

**And yes, I'm months late.  
**


End file.
